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Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

Engaged Employer

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory reviews

4.2

79% would recommend to a friend

(1,252 total reviews)
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David Van Wie

74% approve of CEO

73% positive business outlook

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 1,252 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Aerospace & Defense industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

1K reviews
3.0
May 15, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Most staff are dedicated to aiding the US military and intelligence communities. Excellent match on the 403b (double employee contribution with a flat 2.5% of annual pay)

Cons

JHUAPL no longer respects employee seniority and institutional knowledge, and there is less opportunity to advance from within. Program Managers can be too focused on pleasing their government sponsor to allow technical staff to accurately describe the issues and failings of the weapon/intelligence system. Medical and Health benefits are not as good as those at JHU in Baltimore, because JHUAPL negotiates its benefits separately from the rest of JHU. Status as a Non-Profit UARC results in less pay or bonuses compared to For-Profit Aerospace/Defense contractors.

1.0
May 13, 2026

APL Town/ The Village

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Federal contractor stability and benefits Access to meaningful work with real professional value Professional development opportunities exist within the institution

Cons

Whim-based supervision with no consistent written standard A culture where informal practice overrides written policy selectively Professional development systematically blocked A management structure that documents against you while leaving comparators uncorrected The psychological cost of having to document every interaction just to protect yourself

Viewing 16 - 18 of 1,252 Reviews

Glassdoor has 1,577 Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory reviews submitted anonymously by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory is right for you.