Is Caltech (California) a good company to work for?

Caltech (California) has an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5, based on over 1,093 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has increased by 1% over the last 12 months. 72% of employees would recommend working at Caltech (California) to a friend and 67% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Caltech (California) have been left by employees working as Teaching Assistant , PhD Student and Researcher .

Does Caltech (California) pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Caltech (California) employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.7 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Caltech (California). This rating has improved by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Caltech (California)?

72% of Caltech (California) employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Caltech (California) 3.7 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.9 for culture and values and 4.0 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Caltech (California)?

Graduate Student (70) , Postdoctoral Fellow (63) , Graduate Research Assistant (56) , Postdoctoral Scholar (44) , PhD Student (42) , PhD Graduate Student (40) , Research Assistant (35) , Postdoctoral Researcher (27) , Researcher (21) , Research Scientist (17) , Teaching Assistant (16) , Administrative Assistant (15) , Research Technician (15) , Postdoctoral Research Associate (13) , Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow (13)

What are the pros of working at Caltech (California) according to real employee reviews?

"People are smart and nice." ((in 111 reviews)); "Campus is beautiful and location can't be beat." ((in 63 reviews)); "Good benefits are often given to employees here" ((in 47 reviews)); "Location is great and your colleagues hail from all over the world." ((in 35 reviews)); "Nice staff" ((in 17 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Caltech (California) according to real employee reviews?

"Low pay and you lab may expect you to work a lot" ((in 50 reviews)); "Low salary and lots of work" ((in 38 reviews)); "bad work life balance at" ((in 19 reviews)); "Siloed departments and lack of cohesive management" ((in 11 reviews)); "Limited diversity." ((in 7 reviews))

What are employees saying about Caltech (California) layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Caltech (California) layoffs and their outlook for job security at Caltech (California) in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Caltech (California) locations?

Pasadena , Los Angeles , Baton Rouge , Livingston , Chesterfield , Charlotte , Livingston , Big Pine , Claremont , Glendale , Glendora , Montrose , South Pasadena , Moreno Valley , Rancho Cordova , Palomar Mountain , San Diego , Berkeley , Redwood City , Sausalito , San Jose , San Luis Obispo , Richland , Boston , Pasadena

Caltech (California) reviews

4.1

72% would recommend to a friend

(979 total reviews)

Dr. Thomas F. Rosenbaum

74% approve of CEO

67% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (979 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Caltech (California) has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 979 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Caltech (California) employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

979 reviews

2.0

Mar 17, 2015

Bad culture

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good work/life balance, good benefits, decent salary.

Cons

Pace is slow (this could be good or bad, depending on what you like). Bad culture internally (in terms of staff; things may be different in terms of research / academics). Too many little fiefdoms, not enough opportunity for advancement or education. Within organizations, people tend to focus on deflecting work / blame, rather than working together to get things done. Faculty can be very spoiled and "run the show".

4.0

Mar 4, 2026

Peaceful place to do research

Postdoctoral researcher

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

There are turtles in the ponds

Cons

Pasadena is a bit pricy for postdoc. No cheap restaurant around campus within 5 min walk. (Depends on where your office is at.)

4.0

Dec 26, 2024

Position information

Asst. system engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits, hours and WLB

Cons

Below competitive pay and lengthy promotions.

Viewing 28 - 30 of 979 Reviews

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Jobs at Caltech (California)

Dishwasher - Caltech Dining Services

Dishwasher - Caltech Dining Services

Dishwasher - Caltech Dining Services

Dishwasher - Caltech Dining Services