Does Applied Research Associates pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Applied Research Associates employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.3 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Applied Research Associates. This rating has decreased by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Applied Research Associates?

45% of Applied Research Associates employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Applied Research Associates 3.0 out of 5 for work life balance, 2.8 for culture and values and 3.0 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 42 reviews)); "Great people" ((in 20 reviews)); "The management is good" ((in 12 reviews)); "Culture is great" ((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 much upward mobility to grow" ((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

Applied Research Associates reviews

3.2

45% would recommend to a friend

(252 total reviews)

Rob Sues

52% approve of CEO

53% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

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).

Reviews by job title

252 reviews

3.0

Sep 24, 2025

Review

Junior software engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible hours and good benefits

Cons

Poor Management and bad communication

4.0

Sep 23, 2025

Good if you are able to bring in more work

Research scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Growing company overall; Massive internal pool of expertise across hardware, software and simulation platforms. Could be leveraged to learn about almost any problem on earth. The Cypress office is great for Physicists and applied Mathematicians looking to solve complex, cutting-edge government challenges.

Cons

Low base pay and thin bonuses. If you are looking for stability, then this is not the ideal place. Work is contract-based, and you need to constantly look out for more work and find your own funding to keep those contracts going.

2.0

Sep 12, 2025

pay sucks

Research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

good benefits but could be better

Cons

bad they need to increase the pay for all employees.

Viewing 16 - 18 of 252 Reviews

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