Economist

Neura Market; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

OpenAI is seeking a highly technical economist to join the OpenAI Economic Research team studying the real-world economic impacts of AI. You will design and execute empirical research using large-scale data and apply causal inference methods to understand AI-driven economic change.

Ideal candidates hold a PhD in economics, 3–5 years of relevant experience, and proficiency in SQL, Python or R. The role spans labor markets, firm behavior, macroeconomics, and policy-relevant analyses.

Qualifications

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

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 actionable 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 responsibilities to scale research impact.

Skills

Econometrics

Applied microeconomics

SQL

Python

R

Labor economics

Industrial organization

Macroeconomics

Technological change

Causal inference

Machine learning

Structural modeling

Education

PhD in Economics

Job description

About the Team

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

About the Role

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. We are looking for candidates with deep expertise in at least one core domain relevant to AI’s economic impact, and an interest in contributing to a broader research agenda spanning labor markets, firm behavior, market dynamics, and macroeconomic change. This is an individual contributor role where the candidate will organize and execute on their own data-oriented projects.

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.

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. We aim to build a team with complementary strengths across these areas.

In this role, you will

• 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 our 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 your research impact.

You might thrive in this role if you have

• 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.

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 the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.