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

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Reviews by job title

206 reviews

4.0

Mar 17, 2014

IDA has an academic and collegial environment but it can be slow to change.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Problems and research topics are varied, interesting, and impactful. Employees are collegial with each other. There are great education benefits if you desire to stick around long enough to take advantage. The sequester has demonstrated IDA's willingness stick by its employees, increasing opportunities for cross-divisional work and providing other opportunities, assuaging fears of job losses.

Cons

In spite of management's explicit attempts to create a flat organization, IDA is very tied to a model of seniority and degree level. There is little collaboration between divisions, leading to duplicated efforts. However these seem to be improving.

3.0

Oct 11, 2013

Administrative

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I had an outstanding supervisors and worked with a group of exceptional researchers. Fun environment and I met a lot of interesting/influential people. Wonderful health benefits and leave comps.

Cons

Low pay and not much room for advancement or to continue/pursue your education, unless you're pursing a PhD.

2.0

Jul 21, 2013

Very important, but stagnant and unexciting.

Intern

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Pay is competitive with industry internships Good chance of being hired full-time as a research assistant/research staff member Important work critical to the protection of soldiers and the country

Cons

Lack of enthusiasm and passion from employees No room for moving up in the company if hired unless you are already a PhD student Commute is difficult without a car and requires several metro/bus transfers from most places in DC

Viewing 187 - 189 of 206 Reviews

Jobs at Institute for Defense Analyses

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

Security Guard -- (SAN DIEGO, CA)

STORM Campaign Modeler

Senior Executive Assistant to EVP

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Ratings by category

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Reviews by job title

IDA has an academic and collegial environment but it can be slow to change.

Administrative

Very important, but stagnant and unexciting.

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