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

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Caltech (California)

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

Ratings by category

4.1

Diversity & inclusion

4.1

Career opportunities

4.0

Culture & values

3.8

Work/Life balance

3.8

Senior management

3.8

Compensation and benefits

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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

979 reviews

5.0

Aug 24, 2020

Great environment to do science

Phd student

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Caltech is one of the best places to do science. Each professor has their expertise, and they are open to collaborations.

Cons

Caltech is known for its small size. You may only meet scientists at Caltech; there is not much diversity in terms of fields beyond science.

4.0

Nov 26, 2019

Postdoc at caltech

Postdoctoral fellow

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

High paying posdoctoral options (compared to typical postdoc salaries). Great place to be in.

Cons

Pasadena is quite expensive and the benefits are not perfect (health insurance costs ~1500 $ a year per person)

4.0

Mar 18, 2019

Caltech

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- Pay and benefits surpasses that of other institutions in Los Angeles for student support professionals. If you are a high performer, there's an opportunity for an annual raise (if the budget allows, and you're done with probationary period) - Depending on department you are in, or supervisor you have, there is the potential to use your creativity and innovation to create new programs or initiatives

Cons

- Due to the small nature of the institution, you need to be mindful of the politics and relationships in place as you navigate situations. However, this will be true anywhere you go, it's just Caltech is much smaller. - Very personable, so you may be told to talk to a specific person, not necessarily an "office" because that's who takes care of specific things. This can be a pro and con.

Viewing 64 - 66 of 979 Reviews

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