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 98 reviews)); "intellectually compelling and smart colleagues" ((in 71 reviews)); "They have really great benefits" ((in 30 reviews)); "good work life balance" ((in 25 reviews)); "Good pay and annual bonus" ((in 20 reviews))

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

"Long hours occasionally but this is consulting" ((in 28 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 11 reviews)); "The senior management is incompetent and at times dishonest towards staff" ((in 9 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

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Reviews by job title

603 reviews

1.0

Nov 15, 2008

CRA International is a sinking ship - Titanic

Associate principal

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I thought the strong academics from Harvard, MIT and a bench of PhDs will be a great team to work with as far as learning opportuities, team work, and working on exciting litigation consulting engagements

Cons

The senior management in Boston and New York have no clue or strategic direction. Although the firm boost their professional image and mutual respect for employees and management, in reality the management have no respect ofr the talent and abilities of the employess unless you are a VP who can bring in the money as a rainmaker. The motto seem to be 'mik' the existing clients for the money rather than building long term relationships.

4.0

Oct 3, 2008

Good work if you can get it, but don't bother giving 110%. 80% effort rewards you the same pay.

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Low pressure atmosphere, good pay, time off, little travel. I also like the collegiate atmosphere and open-door policy. There are some sr. staff who are more personable than others, but overall the supervisors are friendly and understanding. The pay is also a LOT better than most other companies.

Cons

Deadline crunches, unfair review procedure/compensation. While the overall level of pay at CRA is good, the distribution is fairly like socialism. We all get paid the same, whether you work hard or not - so what's the incentive to work hard? CRA needs to do a better job of rewarding good behavior and punishing bad behavior. They rely too much on the goodwill of employees to stay late and finish job. Consequently, only the polite employees do so, while other employees take off at 4:30.

5.0

Sep 17, 2008

a great place to start your career

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great down-to-earth managers and coworkers. One of only a few consulting companies where one can work across three very different groups - finance, business consulting, and litigation - and across a wide array of industries. The company also has a great policy of comp-time for analyst, which gives you vacation or over-time pay for every hour you work above 45 hours each week. And in general, the firm offers a great work/life balance for a consulting place. After a few years, most of the analysts get accepted to top MBA programs.

Cons

Not as well known and recognized as other consulting companies.

Viewing 595 - 597 of 603 Reviews

Jobs at Charles River Associates

Associate Principal (Intellectual Property practice)

Associate Principal (Intellectual Property practice)

Consulting Associate (Intellectual Property practice)

Consulting Associate (Intellectual Property practice)

Principal (Labor & Employment practice)

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Charles River Associates

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CRA International is a sinking ship - Titanic

Good work if you can get it, but don't bother giving 110%. 80% effort rewards you the same pay.

a great place to start your career

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