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 as an FFRDC." ((in 23 reviews)); "Great people who love what they do and the people they do it with." ((in 16 reviews)); "I've got smart colleagues to work with." ((in 15 reviews)); "good work / life balance" ((in 11 reviews)); "Good job security." ((in 6 reviews))

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

"Pay is low." ((in 8 reviews)); "Poor management" ((in 7 reviews)); "Cons are pay scales are not transparent and upward mobility is mainly driven by educational degree." ((in 5 reviews)); "Weak on sick leave, part of PTO, which is 24 days total." ((in 3 reviews)); "Not too many cons in my view; fairly flat management structure" ((in 3 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

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

206 reviews

5.0

Jun 25, 2022

Offfice work

Personnel security specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great company culture, great benefits

Cons

Mostly older staff, work can be a bit tedious

3.0

Jun 7, 2022

Best FFRDC for Old White Men

Research staff member

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Stable work, easy-going colleagues, lovely new building - will soon be Metro-accessible. A lot of technically interesting work. Good relationships with its government sponsors. Retirement benefits are great.

Cons

Extremely risk adverse organization that is not that interested in developments outside its orbit. You also don't get a lot of recognition for working here because...no one's heard of IDA. Your research will be under the radar and not something the outside world will really know about. There is also a culture dominated by older white men who seem to actively resist efforts to make IDA any different. And why should they? The culture is ideal for them. For others, not so much. There are people who have been here for 30, 35 years and you can tell. If you're a woman, think twice before coming. No, seriously, consider every other FFRDC before you come here. If you do come here, stay active in your professional network. You COULD come here and deal with this culture, but WHY.

Institute for Defense Analyses Response

Thank you for taking the time to review IDA on Glassdoor. We are sorry to hear about your concerns with company culture. IDA is always looking for opportunities for improvement and we’d like to understand more about your experiences. Please use one of the many ways to offer feedback including through your division leadership, Human Resources, or feedback@ida.org.

3.0

May 23, 2022

My two cents...

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The retirement plan is great.

Cons

The pay is lackluster, particularly for administrative staff.

Viewing 88 - 90 of 206 Reviews

Jobs at Institute for Defense Analyses

CCS - Security Officer (1st Shift)

Security Guard -- (SAN DIEGO, CA)

Security Guard (Part-Time/On-Call -- SAN DIEGO, CA)

Cyber Security Analyst I

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