Economist

Details

About the Team

Our economics team is continuously working to improve our understanding of an AI-driven economy.

Role overview

We are seeking a highly technical Economist to join the OpenAI Economic Research team studying the real-world economic impacts of AI. This role is designed for economists with up to 5 years of professional experience post-Ph.D. who are interested in using novel, large-scale datasets to study how AI is reshaping economic systems. You will work at the intersection of economic research, data science, and public policy to produce rigorous empirical work that informs decision-makers across the public, industry, and government. This is an individual contributor role where the candidate will organize and execute on their own data-oriented projects.

Research areas of interest

We are particularly interested in candidates with demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following areas:

• Economic measurement of AI impact (e.g., adoption trajectories, labor market transitions, productivity growth, and forecasting/scenario modeling for AI-driven economic change)
• Macroeconomic implications of AI (e.g., productivity, technology diffusion, economic growth)
• AI and the labor market (e.g., employment, wages, job search, task-level impacts, skill acquisition)

Applicants are not expected to have experience across all domains. The team aims to build complementary strengths across these areas.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute empirical research using large-scale observational or experimental data
• Apply causal inference and/or structural modeling techniques to study AI-driven economic change
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate research questions into testable frameworks and applicable takeaways across policy, product, and the organization
• Produce policy-relevant outputs, including academic papers, technical reports, and briefings
• Contribute to the development of new measurement approaches for AI's economic impact
• Use AI across your responsibilities to scale research impact

Requirements

• A PhD in Economics or a related quantitative field
• 3–5 years of relevant work experience (industry or policy research)
• Strong background in econometrics and applied microeconomics
• Demonstrated experience working with large or complex datasets, with demonstrated proficiency in SQL
• Proficiency in statistical programming (e.g., Python, R)
• Research related to labor economics, industrial organization, macroeconomics, or technological change
• Experience working with platform, labor market, or firm-level data
• Familiarity with causal inference, machine learning methods, or structural modeling

Benefits

• Base pay in the listed salary range, plus equity and potential performance-related bonuses
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts
• Pre-tax accounts for Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and commuter expenses
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• Paid parental leave and paid medical/caregiver leave
• Flexible PTO for exempt employees and up to 15 days annually for non-exempt employees
• 13+ paid company holidays and multiple coordinated office closures each year
• Mental health and wellness support
• Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage
• Annual learning and development stipend
• Daily meals in offices and meal delivery credits as eligible
• Relocation support for eligible employees

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of AI capabilities and seek to safely deploy them through our products. OpenAI is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Background checks are administered in accordance with applicable law.