Salary, target bonus, and estimated equity vesting are different components. Their certainty isn't the same.
Base Bonus Equity
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3 official postings2 US records + 1 UK case
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2 salary marketsUS and UK, never mixed
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Checked Oct 10, 2026Snapshot, not live market statistics
The short answer
How much do FDEs make?
What the current public records show
There is no reliable FDE-wide average in our small sample. One OpenAI Forward Deployed Engineer listing in San Francisco publishes $185k–$300k in annual base pay; a Palantir Forward Deployed Software Engineer listing in New York publishes an estimated $135k–$200k annual salary range. These are specific job disclosures, not universal salaries. Verified Oct 10, 2026.
3public postings reviewed
Verified public sources
Salary ranges from actual job postings
Two US records are our primary coverage; the UK example is a separate market. Advertised ranges are not accepted offers, company averages, or guaranteed total compensation.
3 public postings shown.
OA
OpenAI
San Francisco, CA · United States
Annual base pay · USD
$185k–$300k
Forward Deployed Engineer
$0$320k
USD local scale · not a cross-market comparison
Disclosure details
Salary definition
Annual base pay
Work arrangement
Hybrid / 3 office days weekly / up to 50% travel
Equity
Offered; amount unknown
Bonus
Performance-related for eligible employees; amount unknown
Posting date
Posting date not provided
Context
Salary range is for San Francisco role. Base pay varies by individual factors. Total compensation also includes equity and eligible bonuses.
PL
Palantir
New York, NY · United States
Estimated annual salary · USD
$135k–$200k
Forward Deployed Software Engineer
$0$320k
USD local scale · not a cross-market comparison
Disclosure details
Salary definition
Estimated annual salary range; not labeled as total compensation
Work arrangement
Full-time / Hybrid
Equity
RSUs possible; amount unknown
Bonus
Sign-on bonus possible; amount excluded/unknown
Posting date
Posting date not provided
Context
The posting says compensation depends on qualifications, experience and skills. Benefits and potential future incentives excluded.
AN
Anthropic
London · United Kingdom
Advertised annual salary · GBP
£225k–£255k
Forward Deployed Engineer
£0£320k
GBP local scale · not a cross-market comparison
Disclosure details
Salary definition
Advertised annual salary (other components not specified in this salary section)
Work arrangement
Hybrid / minimum 25% office time / frequent travel
Equity
Not specified for this role
Bonus
Not specified for this role
Posting date
Posting date not provided
Context
UK market, GBP. Do not compare directly with US salaries without separate treatment.
iReading these ranges: USD and GBP are not comparable on one scale. Each bar uses 0–320k in its local currency. OpenAI discloses base pay; Palantir reports an estimated salary range; Anthropic advertises a GBP salary range. Their definitions differ. Values may change after verification; posting dates were not provided.
Free interactive tool
Which offer works better for you?
Enter two USD compensation offers. See modeled recurring and first-year packages side by side, with base pay, target bonus, estimated vested equity and sign-on bonus kept distinct.
Private calculation · stays in your browser
Illustrative example only. Enable JavaScript to enter and compare your offers.
Offer A models $10,000 more in recurring annual package.Base + target annual cash: A $170k · B $175k
View exact amounts
Offer A: recurring $210,000; first year $225,000; base + target cash $170,000.
Offer B: recurring $200,000; first year $200,000; base + target cash $175,000.
* Equity is your estimate of annual vesting value, not guaranteed liquid income. Bonuses may be conditional; sign-on may require repayment if you leave. This is a pre-tax model, not a take-home-pay calculation or a recommendation to choose an offer. No taxes, exchange rates, vesting schedules or partial first years are modeled. Your entries are processed locally, with no network submission.
Built for transparency
Know what you're comparing
Good compensation decisions start with honest definitions, not a single flashy number.
Posted salary ≠ total compensation
A job advertisement may state base pay or an estimated salary range. Equity, bonuses and benefits may be separate or undisclosed. We preserve each listing's original scope.
One posting ≠ the market average
Our 3 records are a starting point, not a representative salary survey. Locations, role titles, levels, currencies and disclosures differ. Each record links to its original posting.
What is the average salary of a Forward Deployed Engineer?
We cannot establish a reliable FDE-wide average from 3 official job postings. The ranges apply only to their specific roles and locations. Our US coverage includes 2 records; the UK case is a separate market.
Does published salary include stock and bonuses?
Not necessarily. OpenAI identifies base pay. Palantir describes an estimated salary range with potential additional incentives. The Anthropic UK listing advertises an annual salary without specifying every component in that section. These disclosures are not interchangeable total compensation figures.
How does the offer comparison work?
Recurring modeled package = base + target annual bonus + your estimate of annual vested equity. Modeled first-year package additionally includes a year-one sign-on bonus. The calculator uses USD, stays in your browser, and makes no salary-data network requests.
Can I compare UK and US salaries directly?
Different currencies, compensation markets, taxes and benefits require separate context. Our public UK example remains in GBP. The offer calculator supports USD only and does not convert currencies.