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 110 reviews)); "Campus is beautiful and location can't be beat." ((in 62 reviews)); "Good benefits are often given to employees here" ((in 38 reviews)); "Location is great and your colleagues hail from all over the world." ((in 35 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 36 reviews)); "bad work life balance at" ((in 20 reviews)); "Siloed departments and lack of cohesive management" ((in 12 reviews)); "Bad culture internally (in terms of staff; things may be different in terms of research / academics)." ((in 7 reviews)); "Limited diversity." ((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

4.1

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

4.0

Apr 27, 2010

Reseearch Assistant

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Small campus therefore interdisciplinary is highly encouraged and very easily arranged for. Lot of collaborations go on within the campus and beyond the campus.

Cons

Campus is very small therefore very few social activities/clubs/events comparing to other campuses.

5.0

Mar 21, 2010

Grad student

Graduate student

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It is a very peaceful environment. The campus is very nice and the scientific research is top notch. An excellent research institute.

Cons

The average work load us very high and a six day work week has become the norm. Expectations and demands are high.

3.0

Feb 15, 2010

Sink or Swim

Graduate research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The opportunities at Caltech are incredible. It's a steaming mass of smart people with creativity oozing out of every crevice. If you're prepared to take advantage of it it's a great place to launch an academic career.

Cons

It's hard to find a professor there who's also a good mentor. Most of them are more focused on research, which makes sense given the place's reputation. If you need guidance there might be better options.

Viewing 967 - 969 of 979 Reviews

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Jobs at Caltech (California)

Dishwasher - Caltech Dining Services

Dishwasher - Caltech Dining Services

Dishwasher - Caltech Dining Services