Desk·2026-08-16
Jane Street cash against OpenAI paper
Same SWE title. One is a bonus. One is a mark. Plan the decade, not the offer letter.
OpenAI typical $653,000 against $525,000 at Jane Street.
QR vs SWE, Jane Street
QR typical sits ~1.2× the SWE seat
The shop fights over researchers. SWE is the floor that still clears most labs on cash.
How to plan it
If you can do both, take the QR interview
A 26-year-old who can write the signal and the system should sit the Jane Street / HRT / Jump QR loop before they sit another lab. The lab will still want you in two years. The QR seat compounds in cash you can keep. If you cannot stand a desk, take the lab — but know you are buying the mark, not the paycheck.
Also: QR shops · Jane Street vs Citadel