Does Charles River Laboratories pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Charles River Laboratories employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.0 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Charles River Laboratories. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Charles River Laboratories?

49% of Charles River Laboratories employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Charles River Laboratories 3.2 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.2 for culture and values and 3.1 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Charles River Laboratories?

Lab Technician (78) , Scientist (69) , Animal Care Technician (65) , Research Technician (55) , Technician (52) , Analyst (51) , Research Associate (46) , Research Scientist (42) , Supervisor (37) , Research Assistant (36) , Laboratory Technician (31) , Study Director (27) , Project Manager (25) , Manager (22) , Associate Scientist (20)

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

"The ability to move around within the company is relatively good and the benefits are good." ((in 236 reviews)); "Great people you work with and a relatively easy job with very easy to understand ladder to climb." ((in 170 reviews)); "Very interesting place to work and colleagues are great" ((in 44 reviews)); "Great people and team to work with" ((in 42 reviews)); "Flexible hours and shifts day" ((in 41 reviews))

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

"sites are disorganized and pay is low" ((in 177 reviews)); "Management is poor and people who are in charge lack knowledge of CDMO" ((in 166 reviews)); "The low salary also makes it hard to subsequently ask for more at another company." ((in 111 reviews)); "upper management is awful, lots of work to do which overwhelms people easily." ((in 33 reviews)); "A lot of managers don't know what actually occurs in their department." ((in 30 reviews))

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

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

What are the top reviewed Charles River Laboratories locations?

Wilmington , Mattawan , Reno , Ashland , Horsham , Shrewsbury , Memphis , Boston , Charleston , Worcester , Chicago , Bethesda , Raleigh , South San Francisco , Malvern , Wayne , Cambridge , Skokie , San Diego , Rockville , Morrisville , Newark , Frederick , Philadelphia , Spencerville , Kalamazoo , Wilmington , Durham , Kingston , Catskill

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Charles River Laboratories

Charles River Laboratories reviews

Allows for growth in a career for a few years - Training Coordinator Charles River Laboratories Employee Review

2.0

Mar 9, 2025

Training coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great for anyone trying to start out in the biomedical field. Give good on the job experience and pays fairly well for the industry.

Cons

Management is mostly people who moved up with time in, so their actual leadership abilities aren't refined enough for the level of professionalism they claim to have. Once you get past entry level, you can easily get stuck and unable to move in your position unless you move departments. But the cycle starts over and you eventually get stuck again. Accountability is an ongoing problem. You don't notice it for the first year, but it affects work culture and creates an environment where awesome performers are overworked and low performers are encouraged to stay low performing.

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5.0

Jun 12, 2026

Procurement

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great place to work. Work/life balance is best I've been part of.

Cons

Very big company, don't always know who to go to

Charles River Laboratories Response

1mo

We're thrilled to hear you're enjoying your time at Charles River! Your contributions make a difference, and we’re grateful to have you on the team.

2.0

Jun 24, 2026

Quality control associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The people you work with under the leadership level are great and truly try their best every day to do the best job they possibly can.

Cons

Everyone is severely underpaid for the amount of work they’re expected to do. People will quit/be fired/laid off and no additional help is provided. Those who remain are expected to pick up all of the slack. Leadership is variable on the day-to-day but you never truly feel supported or like your problems are taken seriously enough to resolve. Individuals are actively urged not to present counter job offers as a way to negotiate higher pay or a different position because “the site head doesn’t like it”.

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Jobs at Charles River Laboratories

In Vivo Services Study Coordinator I

Sample Coordinator I - Sample Management

Production Support Coordinator

Lab Coordinator I - In Vivo

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Charles River Laboratories

Allows for growth in a career for a few years - Training Coordinator Charles River Laboratories Employee Review

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