Is Build-A-Bear a good company to work for?

Build-A-Bear has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5, based on over 1,853 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has increased by 2% over the last 12 months. 59% of employees would recommend working at Build-A-Bear to a friend and 51% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Build-A-Bear have been left by employees working as Master Bear Builder , Manager and Associate .

Does Build-A-Bear pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Build-A-Bear employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.8 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Build-A-Bear. This rating has improved by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Build-A-Bear?

59% of Build-A-Bear employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Build-A-Bear 3.6 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.7 for culture and values and 3.1 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Build-A-Bear?

Bear Builder (394) , Sales Associate (238) , Sales Lead (93) , Sales Assistant/Bear Builder (90) , Assistant Manager (65) , Chief Workshop Manager (41) , Store Manager (39) , Assistant Workshop Manager (34) , Retail Sales Associate (32) , Sales Assistant (32) , Associate Manager (29) , Bear Builder Associate (21) , Associate Workshop Manager (19) , Manager (18) , Associate (17)

What are the pros of working at Build-A-Bear according to real employee reviews?

"Great for people not in college as there were shifts available during the week and was able to work a 2nd job alongside" ((in 75 reviews)); "Most coworkers were great to work with." ((in 66 reviews)); "Fun work environment" ((in 60 reviews)); "Working with great teams." ((in 48 reviews)); "they have really good benefits" ((in 30 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Build-A-Bear according to real employee reviews?

"Pay is low and its not enough for the amount of times you're being used by your managers" ((in 237 reviews)); "management is bad" ((in 101 reviews)); "If you do get promoted from associate manager to assistant manager you get another dollar." ((in 63 reviews)); "Long hours or hours getting cut if it was quiet" ((in 60 reviews)); "Pays minimum wage and very hard to love up" ((in 27 reviews))

What are employees saying about Build-A-Bear layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Build-A-Bear layoffs and their outlook for job security at Build-A-Bear in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Build-A-Bear locations?

Saint Louis , New York , Houston , Atlanta , Nashville , Chicago , Dallas , San Antonio , Orlando , Boston , Freehold , Fairfax , Los Angeles , Las Vegas , Richmond , Albany , Tulsa , Indianapolis , Columbus , Anaheim , Jacksonville , Miami , Greensboro , Raleigh , Austin , Franklin , Toledo , San Diego , Overland Park , Pittsburgh

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Build-A-Bear

Build-A-Bear reviews

3.8

59% would recommend to a friend

(1,772 total reviews)

Sharon John

60% approve of CEO

51% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.9

Diversity & inclusion

3.7

Culture & values

3.6

Work/Life balance

3.3

Senior management

3.1

Career opportunities

2.8

Compensation and benefits

Build-A-Bear has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 1,772 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Build-A-Bear employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.5 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

2K reviews

4.0

May 19, 2015

Good High School Job

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Worked at Downtown Disney so got to go in Disneyland for free Great discount during the Holidays

Cons

Late hours since hours are reflected on DIsneyland hours High turn-over since many students work there Open 365 days of the year and must be able to work all holidays in order to be considered No room for advancement

4.0

May 9, 2015

Great Company!

Associate manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Awesome perks - birthday off, tons of paid time off, generous discount, room for growth.

Cons

Store level management needs to be more supportive of promotions.

4.0

May 6, 2015

Amazing job, disappointing management.

Associate workshop manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Working for BABW was one of the best experiences I have had in my retail career. Working with children is a blast, creating a friendly and welcoming atmosphere makes it more fun than work. Very easy to become passionate about your work. Corporate had a very good idea of what it takes to retain employees and have a good workplace environment. In the top 100 places to worm for a reason!

Cons

I worked at a floundering store that was one of the original BABW locations. At the end of my time there we switched corporate management and the focus became more numbers oriented and less about the client. I am not sure if that is still true today but the shift in focus lead to less enjoyable customer experiences, and I believe the customer happiness should be at the forefront of every interaction. I experienced poor management at an in-store and district level. As can be in any retail situation, the middle and upper management politics prevented a lot of potential from blossoming, and left a bad taste in my mouth.

Viewing 1579 - 1581 of 1,772 Reviews

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