Is Institute for Defense Analyses a good company to work for?

Institute for Defense Analyses has an overall rating of 3.6 out of 5, based on over 231 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 10% over the last 12 months. 59% of employees would recommend working at Institute for Defense Analyses to a friend and 44% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Institute for Defense Analyses have been left by employees working as Summer Associate , Research Associate and Research Staff Member .

Does Institute for Defense Analyses pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Institute for Defense Analyses employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Institute for Defense Analyses. This rating has decreased by 9% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Institute for Defense Analyses?

59% of Institute for Defense Analyses employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Institute for Defense Analyses 3.8 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.2 for culture and values and 2.9 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Institute for Defense Analyses?

Research Staff Member (44) , Research Associate (21) , Summer Associate (14) , Research Assistant (7) , Research Analyst (4) , Researcher (4) , Senior Research Manager (4) , Computer Systems Administrator (3) , Intern (3) , Science Policy Fellow (3) , Security (3) , Analyst (2) , Data Science Fellow (2) , Data Scientist (2) , Personnel Security Specialist (2)

What are the pros of working at Institute for Defense Analyses according to real employee reviews?

"Great Benefits and PTO" ((in 28 reviews)); "I've got smart colleagues to work with." ((in 15 reviews)); "Nice people throughout the company." ((in 15 reviews)); "Great work life balance at work" ((in 11 reviews)); "Smart people, wonderful coworkers" ((in 6 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Institute for Defense Analyses according to real employee reviews?

"Pay is low." ((in 10 reviews)); "Poor management" ((in 9 reviews)); "Cons are pay scales are not transparent and upward mobility is mainly driven by educational degree." ((in 5 reviews)); "Not too many cons in my view; fairly flat management structure" ((in 3 reviews)); "Your immediate supervisor will often try to hold you back from taking on roles that help you advance." ((in 2 reviews))

What are employees saying about Institute for Defense Analyses layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed Institute for Defense Analyses locations?

Alexandria , Washington , Princeton , Arlington , Bowie , New Alexandria

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Institute for Defense Analyses

Institute for Defense Analyses reviews

3.6

59% would recommend to a friend

(206 total reviews)

Adm. Charles A. Richard, USN (Ret.)

100% approve of CEO

44% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.8

Work/Life balance

3.5

Compensation and benefits

3.4

Diversity & inclusion

3.2

Culture & values

2.9

Senior management

2.9

Career opportunities

Institute for Defense Analyses has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 206 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Institute for Defense Analyses employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Government & Public Administration industry (3.6 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

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Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

206 reviews

4.0

Feb 1, 2021

Great Benefits- Hard vertical opportunity

Adminisrative assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great overall benefits and PTO and fair pay for those looking to break into government funded non-profits

Cons

Very hard to climb the ladder without a masters at the very least over 60% of staff have prior military service or a PhD.

5.0

Nov 1, 2020

Excellent Intellectual Partnerships

General manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Staff represent exceptional collegiality and a willing partner attitude supporting challenging and relevant work.

Cons

It is sometimes a challenge to balance ones personal interest in different projects to accommodate surge or quick-turn efforts across the total work portfolio.

4.0

Sep 4, 2020

Good place to work

Research associate i

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Nice, smart people, interesting work, flexible work opportunities, decent salary, good work life balance, generous 11% retirement contribution, lots of opportunities to interact/work with senior researchers.

Cons

Few opportunities for promotions. Yearly salary increase is basically just for inflation. Progressing from RA 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 takes 2-4 years per step depending on masters degree, among other things. Yearly bonus criteria is opaque and most people don't get it. Data Science expertise differs significantly depending on division.

Viewing 37 - 39 of 206 Reviews

Jobs at Institute for Defense Analyses

CCS - Security Officer (1st Shift)

Summer Associate SCAMP 2027-28 CCRP

Senior Executive Assistant to EVP

Security Guard -- (SAN DIEGO, CA)

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Great Benefits- Hard vertical opportunity

Excellent Intellectual Partnerships

Good place to work

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