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

Caltech (California) has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 1,093 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has increased by 2% over the last 12 months. 74% of employees would recommend working at Caltech (California) to a friend and 70% 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 3.8 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Caltech (California). This rating has improved by 4% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Caltech (California)?

74% of Caltech (California) employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Caltech (California) 3.8 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.0 for culture and values and 4.1 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 115 reviews)); "Campus is beautiful and location can't be beat." ((in 64 reviews)); "Good benefits are often given to employees here" ((in 40 reviews)); "Location is great and your colleagues hail from all over the world." ((in 34 reviews)); "Flexible hours and most of the projects are interesting" ((in 16 reviews))

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

"Low salary and lots of work" ((in 34 reviews)); "bad work life balance at" ((in 19 reviews)); "Siloed departments and lack of cohesive management" ((in 11 reviews)); "Limited diversity." ((in 6 reviews)); "Hard classes" ((in 6 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

4.2

74% would recommend to a friend

(979 total reviews)

Dr. Thomas F. Rosenbaum

77% approve of CEO

70% 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 4.2 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

5.0

Jun 7, 2023

Great collaborative place

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Everyone in the department is very supportive and nice. They have collaborative vibe.

Cons

The pressure of productivity is there, although not overt.

1.0

Jan 4, 2023

They do not care about the students

Graduate research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

They listen to us cry about how difficult it is to get child care as a student, how housing and cost of living every year becomes more and more unaffordable, how it becoming more and more unsustainable to stay as an academic. Caltech is a very tight knit community and word travels fast

Cons

After listening to us complain, instead of raising our salaries and stipends, they offered us group therapy, which was not that much different from Alcoholics Anonymous. What was I suppose to say in group therapy? "Hi my name is .... I made the unfortunately choice of becoming a graduate student. I suffer from overwork and underpay. I am here today because I am trying to get better. When can I get my poker chip to show how many years I have been sober as a graduate student?"

2.0

Jan 1, 2023

Staff employees are neglected

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Can be a good place to learn, chaos and lack of oversight allows opportunities to assume responsibility for tasks deemed less glamorous. No one is asked to do very much (could be a pro for some).

Cons

Useless bureaucracy, especially in HR and procurement. Managers are drawn from PhD ranks and often have no ability or interest in effective leadership or project management. Pay is very low. Political correctness prioritized above everything else.

Viewing 52 - 54 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