OpenAI’s Seattle FDE role covers end-to-end production deployments of frontier models for strategic customers. The posting includes discovery, technical scoping, system design, implementation, rollout, customer adoption, and delivery trade-offs. It asks for production frontend and backend coding, experience with LLM or generative-model systems, and Seattle-based hybrid work with three office days each week. It lists up to 50% travel and a $185,000–$300,000 base range.
Bay Area roles cover other combinations of work. 11x’s FDE role describes full-stack systems for AI voice agents, agent orchestration, APIs, data flows, and production operation. The posting lists $180,000–$200,000 and allows remote work across the US and Canada, with an in-office option in San Francisco. Handshake’s senior enterprise-AI role lists $220,000–$300,000 and on-site work. It focuses on customer workflows, production AI applications, evaluations, and reusable deployment practices.
The comparison therefore involves more than Seattle versus the Bay Area. One role may require regular office attendance and substantial travel while another permits remote work. One may center on strategic deployments of frontier models while another focuses on a specific product or enterprise workflow. Read the employer’s responsibility and location language before treating salary ranges as comparable.
Questions to answer before choosing
Check which metro or city the employer means, how often you must be in an office, and whether travel is stated as a percentage or left open. Compare the production stage you would own, the customer contact, required experience, coding expectations, and salary range. Ask separately about bonus, equity, benefits, vesting, and any location rule that the posting leaves unclear.