Does Milken Institute pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Milken Institute employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.8 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Milken Institute. This rating has improved by 16% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Milken Institute?

67% of Milken Institute employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Milken Institute 3.5 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.1 for culture and values and 3.3 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Milken Institute?

Senior Associate (10) , Associate Director (9) , Director (9) , Intern (7) , Associate (5) , Executive Assistant (3) , Executive Director (3) , Business and Program Development (2) , Senior Research Analyst (2)

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

"The people are great." ((in 12 reviews)); "Good work/ life balance" ((in 5 reviews)); "great team to work with." ((in 5 reviews)); "Supportive team, good pay, varied work" ((in 3 reviews)); "Great working environment and opportunities to learn" ((in 3 reviews))

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

"Nepotism is blatant and rampant" ((in 6 reviews)); "Low salary and no bonus structure." ((in 4 reviews))

What are employees saying about Milken Institute layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed Milken Institute locations?

Santa Monica , Washington , Los Angeles , Riverton , New York , Moorpark , Manhattan Beach

Milken Institute reviews

3.4

67% would recommend to a friend

(93 total reviews)

Richard Ditizio

69% approve of CEO

55% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Milken Institute has an employee rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on 93 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Milken Institute employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Nonprofit & NGO industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

93 reviews

1.0

Nov 11, 2020

The most toxic workplace- very little thinking for a think tank

Program management

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Salary is competitive and you are able to network with high level individuals especially in finance.

Cons

Harassment and bullying are pervasive and any attempt to report is met with punitive action. Many coworkers have developed serious mental health issues in response to the toxic environment. Most of the people in decision making roles know very little about the field and completely ignore the expertise and experience of those in more junior roles. There is very little being accomplished other than fundraising and holding mediocre events (refusal to pivot or innovate during the changing world). Even though centers are full of passionate experts in the field, their skills are incredibly underutilized to the point where professional development is at risk. Listen to every negative review! The slight pros are not worth complete unhappiness nearly every working moment.

Milken Institute Response

5y

We are very sorry for the experience that you had at the Milken Institute and we appreciate you taking the time to provide this feedback. Please contact us at HR-Staff@themi.org should you wish to discuss your experience further.

1.0

Nov 2, 2020

Do not work here

Director

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Decent work life balance - however little else is positive.

Cons

Top three people have absolutely no interest in their staff. There is a clear lack of interest in the centers outside of business development, and their work. You will constantly feel undervalued particularly if you are someone with a research background. Please ignore the planted reviews! Although every office is different - I the US offices are rampant with toxic culture. Only the ideas of 3-4 people are valued. Most high level staff do not have a background in their topic area -and will push their interests over the interests of the field. If you are not one of the few favorites (usually those with ultra wealth or from an ultra wealthy background) you will not be valued.

Milken Institute Response

5y

Thank you for taking the time to write a review. It is very concerning to read about your experience given that we strive to provide a safe and comfortable work environment where employees feel they are valued and appreciated. We can assure you the positive reviews here with the Glassdoor community are authentic and saddened you did not have a positive experience at the Milken Institute. Please know we value and respect your opinion and are taking steps to address your concerns. We take your comments very seriously, so please do not hesitate to reach out to us at HR-Staff@themi.org to provide further feedback.

1.0

Oct 27, 2020

Toxic Culture, lack of accountability and strategy

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The institute does hire some wonderful people who are eager to work hard and move projects forward however they often are unable to due to an unorganized leadership structure that does not care about programs or work being accomplished

Cons

Toxic culture, dismissal of other ideas, lack of leadership, lack of strategy, dismissal of ideas and thoughts, lack of interest in new ideas, lack of personal development or people management, overall dismissal of facts/science, lack of communication, lack of diversity, no understanding of inclusion/justice/progressive ideas. Leadership truly cares about three events a year and chasing money from sponsors and little else including the employees, science/facts or project work.

Milken Institute Response

5y

Thank you for taking the time to share your comments with us. We appreciate your candid review and will continue to strive to improve our overall company culture. Our goal is to foster a respectful, safe and productive workplace. If you wish to provide further feedback on how we could improve, please email us at HR-Staff@themi.org.

Viewing 55 - 57 of 93 Reviews

Jobs at Milken Institute

Director, Catering & Special Events

Associate, Advancement

Senior Associate, Global Programming