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

Caltech (California) has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 1,094 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 (71) , 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 113 reviews)); "Campus is beautiful and location can't be beat." ((in 60 reviews)); "Good benefits are often given to employees here" ((in 44 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 18 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 53 reviews)); "Low salary and lots of work" ((in 37 reviews)); "bad work life balance at" ((in 19 reviews)); "Siloed departments and lack of cohesive management" ((in 13 reviews)); "Bad culture internally (in terms of staff; things may be different in terms of research / academics)." ((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

4.2

74% would recommend to a friend

(980 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 (980 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 980 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

980 reviews

4.0

May 29, 2014

A COOL PLACE TO WORK OR RELAX.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The campus has a very natural and peaceful environment. I liken it to a park with lots of trees, turtles, egrets, squirrels, and birds. It is open to the public, many of the neighbors come through jogging or walking their dog. The grounds are immaculate with a variety of flowers to create a beautiful positive place for creative mind.

Cons

Office politics can sometimes get in the way of progress which may actually be typical for most organizations. I guess in comparison to other places the hierarchy is pretty level compared to others places. Hence this may in some sense be an positive attribute rather than a con.

4.0

May 29, 2014

Your experience definitely varies depending on your PI.

Postdoctoral scholar

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

My PI is great and the people I work with are fantastic. Pay isn't great but the flexibility and independence are worth it.

Cons

If you don't get along well with your boss this could be a rough time. The overall policies of the institute don't affect me very much.

5.0

May 9, 2014

It's a very nice place to work for your PhD!

Graduate research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It's a small institute, so there are a lot of connections among people. Most of the professors are very nice. Staff are really supportive and helpful. You can easily get help everywhere. You feel like people care about you here.

Cons

Research is everything here. You will get less opportunity to know about non-academia things compared to other big universities. Work-life balance depends on the PI you are working with.

Viewing 862 - 864 of 980 Reviews

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Jobs at Caltech (California)

Dishwasher - Caltech Dining Services

Dishwasher - Caltech Dining Services

Dishwasher - Caltech Dining Services