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Caltech (California)

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Good research, great colleagues, avoid HR - Postdoctoral Fellow Caltech (California) Employee Review

4.0
Apr 16, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

From an academic-track postdoc fellow: * Great research environment, world class colleagues and facilities.

Cons

* Most admins within my division are mildly effective at best and obstructive at worst. * Opaque salary scale and promotion structure. * Minimal flexibility in health care plans. * Retirement benefits for three-year post docs kick in at… the beginning of year 3! * Within the academic career path, you do not make very much money given your skill set. * Within the academic career path, depending on field, the ratio of PhDs to faculty positions is typically 10:1. This means the jobs are rarely permanent.

Explore other reviews about Caltech (California)

5.0
Jul 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great environment, lots of interesting talks going on every day

Cons

Lack of dining options, society too small

5.0
Jun 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I really like the people I work with. Managers promote psychological safety and follow through with their commitments . My direct managers are interested in my growth and professional development. There are a lot of affinity groups to connect with. Overall a great community to be a part of. Caltech has good benefits and even mental health counseling available for staff.

Cons

Because the campus is lightly administered/decentralized, policies can vary a lot by department, which can make things really confusing for the initial period. However, if you’re open to talking to others and making connections, it can go a long way in helping you figure out how things work on campus. Another negative is that departmental culture can vary. Working as an admin in one department may be much more difficult than in another department.

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