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 94 reviews)); "intellectually compelling and smart colleagues" ((in 72 reviews)); "They have really great benefits" ((in 31 reviews)); "Good work/life balance" ((in 28 reviews)); "Good pay and annual bonus" ((in 19 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 13 reviews)); "Nothing much unless you end up with a bad manager." ((in 12 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

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

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (603 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

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).

Reviews by job title

603 reviews

3.0

Apr 1, 2025

Review

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Bright colleagues, collegiate environment, some interesting projects

Cons

Workload can be inconsistent (intrinsic w consulting), heavy focus on PMA Could have more opportunities for high-performing juniors

1.0

Mar 28, 2025

Non-competitive compensation, poor management

Consultant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

None that I can think of.

Cons

The base pay is significantly lower than competitors like Compass, NERA, and Edgeworth. For those without a PhD, the path to promotion lacks transparency. Junior staff are frequently told they are performing above their current level and are "on track" for promotion, yet there is no clear indication of when or if it will happen. I've heard anecdotes of senior staffs calling juniors "data monkeys" during team meetings. Junior employees often end up cleaning up after newly hired PhD graduates who lack management skills.

3.0

Mar 27, 2025

Their strongest asset is their people!

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- work w lots of major companies - good people across levels (helpful, kind, intelligent) - dependent on office but culture and team in SF is great - diverse - need to push for responsibility sometimes but can build trust and skill pretty quick (dependent on managers) - strong grad school exits - most jrs leave to a T20

Cons

- salary below market rates w very little transparency - senior management is more focused on lip service than providing actual support - staffing heavily dependent on manager relationships - heavily siloed, no ability to work between practices - west coast offices isolated from the rest - jrs carry responsibility for utilization - lots of turnover

Viewing 55 - 57 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)