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MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Part of MIT

Engaged Employer

Great place if you work for the right department - Software Engineer MIT Lincoln Laboratory Employee Review

3.0
Jul 11, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There are many experts in their field who work here, so there are a lot of in-house resources to utilize. There is always something new to learn. Flexible working schedules are great. Good benefits.

Cons

Pay scale is seriously out of sync for a lot of jobs. Management is almost always promoted from the ranks within, so that tends to put people who are very intelligent in their field into a management position that many are not equipped for. Promotions are hard to come by, as well.

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MIT Lincoln Laboratory Response
11y
We are pleased that you have seen the level expertise that is at the Lab first hand. The constant learning and flexible work environment is something we are proud of. Salary concerns are usually an individual issue. Careful study of our salary structure does not indicate a trend toward being "out of synch". High retention and offer acceptance rates would appear to indicate salary competitiveness. Individual salary concerns can be addressed via a number of channels, including HR. Ongoing training in management topics continues to be a focus. We are admittedly a somewhat flat organization in structure. That can reduce promotions per se but this is offset by exceptional breadth and depth of opportunity. We appreciate your comments.

Explore other reviews about MIT Lincoln Laboratory

5.0
Jun 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

It can vary a lot from group to group, but in general, wonderful place with wonderful people and lots of interesting work going on. Excellent benefits and lots of flexibility to explore different projects.

Cons

Little opportunity for advancement in terms of rank and compensation once you reach technical staff. Additionally (again varies from group to group) expectations of what a staff member does can be unclear and there can be a light sink-or-swim nature to the work, again depending on the group you're in.

4.0
May 26, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Historically a very stable job, interesting work, great people

Cons

There can be a lack of mentorship for people early in their careers, although your experience will depend heavily on which group you are in. There are only 3 main levels of engineer with very limited group leader positions, making upward mobility limited.

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