Is Charles River Associates a good company to work for?

Charles River Associates has an overall rating of 4.0 out of 5, based on over 670 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has increased by 10% over the last 12 months. 74% of employees would recommend working at Charles River Associates to a friend and 70% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Charles River Associates have been left by employees working as Analyst Intern , Senior Associate and Associate Principal .

Does Charles River Associates pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Charles River Associates employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Charles River Associates. This rating has improved by 6% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Charles River Associates?

74% of Charles River Associates employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Charles River Associates 3.3 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.8 for culture and values and 3.6 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Charles River Associates?

Associate (140) , Analyst (93) , Consulting Associate (65) , Senior Associate (39) , Associate Principal (25) , Principal (18) , Analyst Intern (12) , Consultant (12) , Intern (12) , Executive Assistant (4) , Manager (4) , Vice President (4) , Forensic Analyst (3) , Life Sciences Analyst (3) , (2)

What are the pros of working at Charles River Associates according to real employee reviews?

"Great people and exposure to high profile experts and cases." ((in 99 reviews)); "intellectually compelling and smart colleagues" ((in 75 reviews)); "Good benefits" ((in 28 reviews)); "good work life balance" ((in 25 reviews)); "Good pay and annual bonus" ((in 21 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Charles River Associates according to real employee reviews?

"Long hours occasionally but this is consulting" ((in 29 reviews)); "The major con at CRA is the unpredictable and long hours." ((in 15 reviews)); "(1) Lack of formal training, (2) Rigid work hours (9 to 6, not counting overtime), (3) Unprofessional management (significant decisions made based on personal conflicts, grudges, etc.), (4) Low salary for high cost" ((in 14 reviews)); "Nothing much unless you end up with a bad manager." ((in 13 reviews)); "The senior management is incompetent and at times dishonest towards staff" ((in 8 reviews))

What are employees saying about Charles River Associates layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Charles River Associates layoffs and their outlook for job security at Charles River Associates in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Charles River Associates locations?

Boston , New York , Chicago , Washington , Oakland , San Francisco , Tallahassee , Los Angeles , Summit , College Station , Dallas , Marlborough , Princeton , Salt Lake City , Oklahoma City , Houston , Pasadena , Philadelphia , Beverly , Northborough , Venetian Village

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Charles River Associates

Charles River Associates reviews

4.0

74% would recommend to a friend

(603 total reviews)

Paul Maleh

71% approve of CEO

70% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.8

Culture & values

3.8

Diversity & inclusion

3.6

Career opportunities

3.5

Compensation and benefits

3.3

Work/Life balance

3.2

Senior management

Charles River Associates has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 603 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Charles River Associates employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Management & Consulting industry (3.5 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

603 reviews

2.0

Feb 9, 2022

Good experience, but use it to find your forever consultancy

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Large, insulated from downturns and slow periods.

Cons

Lack of leadership, and lack of tangible culture. Very transactional.

3.0

Oct 25, 2021

Life Science Consulting

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Interesting work, great people, great way to grow quickly

Cons

Long hours, poor work life balance, the company is a bureaucratic mess, very backwards looking in a lot of ways, slow promotion time relative to competitors, and everyone is pretty underpaid (~20% less than competitors)

3.0

Mar 4, 2021

Ok - industry average

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Client exposure is good for experience

Cons

Average benefits per industry Growth is limited to partners favoring consultants they like not on merit

Viewing 46 - 48 of 603 Reviews

Jobs at Charles River Associates

Senior Associate/Cybersecurity Consultant Due Diligence Advisory (Forensic Services practice)

Senior Associate/Cybersecurity Consultant Due Diligence Advisory (Forensic Services practice)

Senior Associate/Cybersecurity Consultant Due Diligence Advisory (Forensic Services practice)

Senior Associate/Cybersecurity Consultant Due Diligence Advisory (Forensic Services practice)

Senior Associate/Cybersecurity Consultant Due Diligence Advisory (Forensic Services practice)

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Charles River Associates

Charles River Associates reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Good experience, but use it to find your forever consultancy

Life Science Consulting

Ok - industry average

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