Does Applied Research Associates pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Applied Research Associates employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.1 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Applied Research Associates. This rating has decreased by 7% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Applied Research Associates?

50% of Applied Research Associates employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Applied Research Associates 3.2 out of 5 for work life balance, 2.9 for culture and values and 2.9 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Applied Research Associates?

Software Engineer (20) , Staff Engineer (12) , Engineer (9) , Staff Software Engineer (7) , Junior Software Engineer (6) , Intern (4) , Scientist (4) , Technical Writer (4) , Civil Engineering Technician (3) , Engineering Technician (3) , Senior Program Manager (3) , Senior Software Developer (3) , Senior Software Engineer (3) , Software Developer (3) , Systems Administrator (3)

What are the pros of working at Applied Research Associates according to real employee reviews?

"good benefits but could be better" ((in 40 reviews)); "Great people" ((in 17 reviews)); "The management is good" ((in 13 reviews)); "Good culture and learning opportunities" ((in 10 reviews)); "good work life balance" ((in 9 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Applied Research Associates according to real employee reviews?

"Low pay" ((in 14 reviews)); "Salary was lower than industry average" ((in 7 reviews)); "Abysmal, from top of company to managers to inter" ((in 5 reviews)); "Not a lot of upward mobility" ((in 3 reviews))

What are employees saying about Applied Research Associates layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Applied Research Associates layoffs and their outlook for job security at Applied Research Associates in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Applied Research Associates locations?

Raleigh , Niceville , Albuquerque , Alexandria , Arlington , Champaign , Vicksburg , Littleton , Washington , Orlando , Baton Rouge , Panama City , Fort Belvoir , Austin , Dayton , Camp Hill , Summit Point , Cypress , Harrisburg , Elkridge , Fort Walton Beach , Greenville , Egg Harbor Township , Jersey City , Virginia Beach , Reston , Charlotte , Durham , Rapid City , Randolph

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Applied Research Associates

Applied Research Associates reviews

3.2

50% would recommend to a friend

(252 total reviews)

Rob Sues

52% approve of CEO

48% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.2

Work/Life balance

3.1

Compensation and benefits

3.0

Senior management

2.9

Culture & values

2.9

Career opportunities

2.8

Diversity & inclusion

Applied Research Associates has an employee rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars, based on 252 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Applied Research Associates employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Aerospace & Defense industry (3.6 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

252 reviews

5.0

Oct 6, 2020

Great Company

Senior principal analyst

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent Management, independent working conditions, employee owned, great benefits

Cons

Need to improve family leave benefit.

4.0

Oct 5, 2020

Great place for a career in classified programming

Junior software developer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

ARA is fully employee owned, with a great retirement plan based in company stock. The world life balance is good, and the people are very friendly.

Cons

Government contracting can be slow, and it's easy to get yourself into situations where you're spread thin across too many projects as deadlines shift.

5.0

Sep 7, 2020

A great employee-owned company

Principal research analyst

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The work is meaningful, and I have a high level of job satisfaction in my position.

Cons

I'm geographically separated from the rest of the organization, so some aspects of belonging to the company I can't really speak to.

Viewing 160 - 162 of 252 Reviews

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Jobs at Applied Research Associates

Senior Software Engineer

Staff Systems Administrator

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Applied Research Associates

Applied Research Associates reviews

Ratings by category

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Great Company

Great place for a career in classified programming

A great employee-owned company

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