DeepSeek Expands with Competitive Salaries Amid AI Boom

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is making waves with its R1 model and a major hiring push, offering lucrative salaries to top AI talent. According to China Fund News, the company is recruiting AI researchers with monthly salaries ranging from 80,000 to 110,000 yuan ($9,000–$11,000), with annual pay reaching up to 1.5 million yuan for artificial general intelligence (AGI) experts. This marks a significant increase compared to the national average AI researcher salary of 450,000 yuan, as per Glassdoor data.

DeepSeek has listed over 50 job openings on Chinese recruitment platform BOSS Zhipin, aiming to expand its 150-person team by hiring 52 professionals in Beijing and Hangzhou. The hiring spree follows the rapid success of its R1 model, which has positioned itself as a strong rival to OpenAI’s ChatGPT despite operating on a smaller budget.

DeepSeek's app recently surpassed ChatGPT as the most downloaded free app on Apple’s App Store, signaling strong user interest. The company's rise underscores China's resilience in AI development despite U.S. export restrictions limiting access to advanced AI chips.

As DeepSeek scales up, its aggressive talent acquisition strategy and competitive pay signal a commitment to advancing AI research, potentially positioning the company as a leader in China’s growing AI landscape.