About DuckDuckGo
What is DuckDuckGo?
DuckDuckGo is "the online protection company and remote-first team of 300+ on a mission to raise the standard of trust online." Founded in 2008 by Gabriel Weinberg, the company has been "profitable since 2014, annual revenue now exceeds $100m USD" and serves millions of privacy-conscious users via its search engine, browser, and DuckDuckGo Subscription.
The product line includes the DuckDuckGo browser (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android), the search engine ("like Google but never tracks your searches"), the DuckDuckGo Subscription for added privacy tools, and Duck.ai — "which lets you chat privately with ChatGPT, Claude, and other AIs, all in one place." The browser is free; revenue comes from privacy-respecting search ads, "not by exploiting your data."
Where will I work?
DuckDuckGo is fully distributed — the team of "335+ passionate people from over 15 countries" works remotely. There is no central HQ in operational terms (registered office is Paoli, PA). All open roles are listed as Remote.
The company hosts two in-person gatherings per year: an all-hands meetup and a team retreat, each "around 4-5 days." In day-to-day work, "camera-on for video conferencing" is expected for key meetings.
What is the DuckDuckGo team like?
The team's culture rests on three published principles:
- Take Back Your Schedule — "No core hours means working when you're most productive, and taking time off when you need it"
- Love Where You Work — "Since 2012, we've maintained an average team retention of over 95%, even as we've tripled in size over the past few years"
- Fair Pay For Everyone — "Everyone at the same professional level earns the same pay regardless of factors like race, gender, age, and location"
Salary transparency is operational: a Senior Data Scientist earns $178,500 plus stock options, identical for everyone at that professional level worldwide. The company describes its culture as one of "trust, inclusivity, and empowered project management… where each team member takes full ownership of their projects, from scoping and execution to postmortem."
Work-Life Balance
No core hours — "work when you're most productive, and take time off when you need it." The expected commitment is "an average full-time commitment of 40 hours per week." Health benefits are provided for US-based team members; team members in other countries (Canada, UK, etc.) navigate local options.
Perks and Benefits
- Fully remote — work from anywhere across 15+ countries
- No core hours — flexible self-managed schedule
- Stock options for all team members
- Fair pay — identical compensation within professional levels regardless of location, race, gender, age
- $178,500 disclosed for Senior Data Scientist (example) + stock
- Health benefits for US-based employees
- Paid parental leave (per Team Member Support Guide)
- Office setup allowance
- Co-working allowance
- Twice-yearly retreats — all-hands + team retreat (4-5 days each)
- Career & Project Advisors — mentorship and ongoing development
- Paid test projects during the interview process