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 1,852 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 (64) , 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 76 reviews)); "Most coworkers were great to work with." ((in 67 reviews)); "Fun work environment" ((in 60 reviews)); "Team within the store is great" ((in 51 reviews)); "Benefits were great." ((in 34 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 243 reviews)); "management is bad" ((in 99 reviews)); "If you do get promoted from associate manager to assistant manager you get another dollar." ((in 62 reviews)); "Long hours or hours getting cut if it was quiet" ((in 58 reviews)); "Minimum wage and even when I was offered tips from guests I wasn't allowed to accept them." ((in 31 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

(1,771 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 1,771 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

Jun 12, 2014

Great place to work while at school

Associate workshop manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

good pay, fun job, lots of things to do, never a dull moment, the staff is always upbeat and the company really cares about its employees

Cons

there is no room to move up within thee company. no one ever leaves so there is never an opportunity to better yourself

3.0

Jun 10, 2014

Not bad for a part-time job in college

Bear builder

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It's a fun environment. You can be silly and just have fun with it, don't have to worry about what you look like or impressing anyone but the kids. You get to meet and talk to a lot of people, and if you're a high-energy friendly person it can be really rewarding! Friendly coworkers are a plus, and you get to make people smile.

Cons

It's either fast paced or there's no one in the store. Holidays are a nightmare, long lines, crowded, impatient kids and parents. Too many managers who don't communicate with each other or with the associates, and then take out their frustrations by being overly critical of the associates. And training was wishy-washy at best, I got thrown straight into doing parties without being actually trained and it was a disaster.

3.0

Jun 2, 2014

Fun at times, but overall disorganized organization

Chief workshop manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It was a fun environment with cute kids. Bonus schedule was achievable most months. The company has a lot of passion for what they do.

Cons

Underdeveloped, clunky training for all positions. Huge swings in business leaving labor control hard to manage. Dramatic negligence of communication between buyers and financial department leading to unrealistic budgets.

Viewing 1651 - 1653 of 1,771 Reviews

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