Is Merck a good company to work for?

Merck has an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5, based on over 8,193 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 83% of employees would recommend working at Merck to a friend and 72% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Merck have been left by employees working as Co-Op , Intern and Internship .

Does Merck pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Merck employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.1 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Merck. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Merck?

83% of Merck employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Merck 4.0 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.9 for culture and values and 3.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Merck?

Associate Director (236) , Director (192) , Intern (171) , Senior Scientist (164) , Sales Representative (117) , Scientist (94) , Associate Principal Scientist (93) , Senior Specialist (92) , Project Manager (88) , Manager (86) , Pharmaceuticals Sales Representative (59) , Specialist (59) , Associate Specialist (58) , Operations Manager (51) , Business Analyst (49)

What are the pros of working at Merck according to real employee reviews?

"Benefits are good (middle of road for pharma) Great when compared to other industries" ((in 762 reviews)); "There has been some really great people that have worked in Durham but many have left." ((in 513 reviews)); "Working in maintenance the work can have pressure at times but overall has a good work/life balance." ((in 318 reviews)); "Ambient friendly with good pay" ((in 314 reviews)); "The culture was great and very inclusive" ((in 284 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Merck according to real employee reviews?

"Poor management; lack of trust between management and reps" ((in 224 reviews)); "Frequent layoffs and reorgs." ((in 139 reviews)); "Merck discovered this ticket and Manager Y and his/her boss called to discuss with me." ((in 108 reviews)); "upper management seems confused; jobs get eliinated" ((in 78 reviews)); "Poor leadership and talent management" ((in 75 reviews))

What are employees saying about Merck layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed Merck locations?

West Point , Rahway , Kenilworth , Durham , Philadelphia , North Wales , Boston , Elkton , Lansdale , Whitehouse Station , Summit , New York , Newark , South San Francisco , Los Angeles , Cambridge , Millsboro , Wilson , Whitehouse , Branchburg , Jersey City , Charlotte , Madison , Raleigh , Chicago , New Brunswick , Elkhorn , Washington , Houston , San Francisco

Merck reviews

4.1

83% would recommend to a friend

(6,174 total reviews)

Rob Davis

82% approve of CEO

72% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (6,174 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

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Disability

Parent or family caregiver

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Merck has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 6,174 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Merck employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

6K reviews

2.0

Apr 22, 2013

was all good until bad study on vytorin and snakes came out!!

Pharmaceuticals sales representative

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

good compensation and benefits, thats it

Cons

upper management lacked forsight and leadership ability. they think they own you 24hrs a day.

4.0

Apr 22, 2013

Heading the right direction and will continue to be a major player in the industry

Pharmaceuticals sales representative

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Solid benefits and management, great people to work with

Cons

pipeline of products slow to launch vs competion

1.0

Apr 22, 2013

Where careers go to die

Associate principal scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Pay and benefits are above the industry average, but lag over time. Negotiate the best deal up front. One of the more stable companies in a declining industry.

Cons

Career progression is nil, unless persons above you are fired (which does actually happen frequently). So you trade potential promotion vs. being in an area with considerable disruption and stress. Once Merck was known for great science, now this has been lost in CYA and politics.

Viewing 5470 - 5472 of 6,174 Reviews

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Merck

Merck reviews

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was all good until bad study on vytorin and snakes came out!!

Heading the right direction and will continue to be a major player in the industry

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