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 77 reviews)); "Most coworkers were great to work with." ((in 68 reviews)); "Great team to work with." ((in 55 reviews)); "Great environment to work in" ((in 30 reviews)); "Benefits were great." ((in 29 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 219 reviews)); "management is bad" ((in 99 reviews)); "If you do get promoted from associate manager to assistant manager you get another dollar." ((in 64 reviews)); "Long hours or hours getting cut if it was quiet" ((in 62 reviews)); "Pays minimum wage and very hard to love up" ((in 29 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

May 27, 2015

Associate Manager

Sales associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great discount on product They work with your schedule if you are a student Creativity is allowed

Cons

Same issues most people who work retail face

5.0

Apr 8, 2015

Great Seasonal Job

Master bear builder

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I worked here in the summer when I was home from college, and it was a fun part-time job. Loved working with the kids and knowing that I made their day. I liked the management at my branch, too. We would go over sales metrics each day at the end of the shift to see if we were making sales goals - a good practice. We also held friendly, in-store competitions among staff to see who had the best sales or who was recognized by customers for outstanding customer service.

Cons

I could only work up to 20 hours/week in my position, so I wasn't able to work all that I wanted. Another con - but this was probably expected for an entry-level sales associate - was that I only got minimum wage. For an hourly employee (and a seasonal worker, to boot), that was probably expected.

4.0

Apr 7, 2015

Good job but stressful. I loved working with Maxine and was lucky enough to be there in the early days at Headquarters.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good benefits, generally good people there and not overly corporate

Cons

Some newer management is less than desirable- more about profit than people they work with. Not easy to work with.

Viewing 187 - 189 of 1,771 Reviews

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