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)); "They have really great benefits" ((in 27 reviews)); "good work life balance" ((in 23 reviews)); "The pay is good and the work isn’t monotonous." ((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)); "Not very supportive environment, will throw others under the bus, low salary compared to other similar companies" ((in 13 reviews)); "Nothing much unless you end up with a bad manager." ((in 13 reviews)); "Formal training doesn't really match that of its peers" ((in 10 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

Skip to content Skip to footer

Notifications

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

3.0

Jun 8, 2020

Good pay, nice office, not a great company culture

Project manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

My time with CRA was brief. I enjoyed the work that I did and got along well with my team.

Cons

The company (or at least the office I was in) had issues with diversity. There were very few African-Americans in high paying positions. I heard someone speaking down to a black gentleman my first day and regret not saying anything about it. I was also surprised sometimes by the lack of organization there considering their reputation. The impression I got was that for minorities, getting ahead at CRA is an uphill battle.

Charles River Associates Response

Thank you for providing us with your feedback. We are sorry you have this impression of CRA, as we do not think it is representative of our values nor the broader CRA experience of our colleagues. More specifically, it is never acceptable to speak disrespectfully to a colleague. We encourage our colleagues to speak to their manager or Human Capital should such situations occur so that we can address and take the proper remediation steps. Although you note that you are no longer with CRA and your time with us was brief, I would be happy to speak with you further if you’d like to contact me directly. -- Jen Kordell, CHRO

5.0

Apr 15, 2019

Great firm

Senior associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The people! Everyone says that about their own company, but truly the people at CRA are great. Everyone cares about looking after each other, delivering a great work product, and continuous improvement. Compensation is decent- salaries are at market rate or slightly below, but the bonuses are generous if you work hard. The internal infrastructure is solid allowing you to focus on the most interesting part of the job (the work!)

Cons

As is typical of consulting firms, the hours can be long and unpredictable.

3.0

Mar 29, 2019

Some great folks, some not so great

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Loved working with some of the teams here. You really get exposed to extremely bright folks that definitely want to invest in you.

Cons

You can get stuck working with partners/principals who seem to enjoy bringing people down on an almost regular basis, unless you somehow get into their elusive inner circle. Since getting assigned to projects is essentially random, you'll either love the folks you work with or will have to deal with someone who is uninterested in investing in you or worse, just on the edge of sadistic. Gives some vibes of academia, if you like that environment.

Viewing 19 - 21 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)

Charles River Associates reviews FAQs

Reviews Charles River Associates reviews

Charles River Associates

Charles River Associates reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Good pay, nice office, not a great company culture

Great firm

Some great folks, some not so great

Jobs at Charles River Associates

Charles River Associates reviews FAQs

Want the inside scoop on your own company?

Bowls

Followed companies

Job searches

Charles River Associates reviews FAQs

Jobs at Charles River Associates