Is NIH a good company to work for?

NIH has an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5, based on over 2,843 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 3% over the last 12 months. 80% of employees would recommend working at NIH to a friend and 60% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about NIH have been left by employees working as Postdoctoral Researcher , Intern and Summer Intern .

Does NIH pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, NIH employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.9 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at NIH. This rating has decreased by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at NIH?

80% of NIH employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated NIH 4.1 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.2 for culture and values and 3.9 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at NIH?

Postdoctoral Fellow (298) , Research Fellow (124) , Postbaccalaureate IRTA (103) , Staff Scientist (63) , Postdoctoral Research Fellow (40) , Intern (38) , Research Assistant (38) , Summer Intern (29) , Post-Baccalaureate Fellow (27) , Scientist (25) , Research Scientist (23) , Biologist (22) , Program Analyst (21) , Post Doctoral Fellow (20) , Visiting Fellow (20)

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

"The people are great and having a role in biomedical research is rewarding" ((in 136 reviews)); "Benefits are great and as expected" ((in 124 reviews)); "good work/life balance and super friendly teammates" ((in 81 reviews)); "Great lab and colleagues." ((in 59 reviews)); "Great opportunity to be mentored and grow as a scientist" ((in 51 reviews))

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

"Low salaries and lack of benefit." ((in 73 reviews)); "Very little recourse for bad management." ((in 28 reviews)); "Corrupt leadership, erosion of standards" ((in 13 reviews)); "Lots of bureaucracy and red tape to navigate" ((in 12 reviews)); "Certain managers (and this is a systematic problem government wide) that focus on promotion based on "time in grade" rather than job performance." ((in 9 reviews))

What are employees saying about NIH layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed NIH locations?

Bethesda , Rockville , Washington , Baltimore , Frederick , Durham , Gaithersburg , Silver Spring , Research Triangle Park , New York , North Bethesda , Phoenix , Raleigh , Boston , Herndon , Maryland Heights , Houston , Columbia , Bowie , Cambridge , Shady Grove , Little Falls , New Brunswick , Wayne , Princeton , Chicago , Kewanee , Annandale , Clifton , Reston

NIH reviews

4.1

80% would recommend to a friend

(2,341 total reviews)

Francis S. Collins

82% approve of CEO

60% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (2,341 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

NIH has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 2,341 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The NIH 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

2K reviews

3.0

Feb 26, 2014

Amazing resources, encumbered by the bureaucracy of the government.

Fellow

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Lots of people working at the top of their field, tons of resources both in equipment, materials, and people. It's all about finding a group of people and mentor you want to work with.

Cons

Very difficult to fire people from the government, and as a result if can be inefficient and there are people there who just don't care at all.

4.0

Dec 4, 2013

clinical research nurse

Clinical research nurse

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

great nurse:pt ratios and great resources (supplies, support). Pay is good and parking is good but I worked nights.

Cons

difficult to promote from within - I always felt good rapport w all the nurses and management but it's like only day nurses got promotions.

4.0

Nov 26, 2013

Great place to work.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The people, salary, benefits, job satisfaction. Really feel like you make a difference in healthcare. It's a government job.

Cons

The commute for many. It's a government job. Management not always the best qualified. Can be a good ol' boys network.

Viewing 172 - 174 of 2,341 Reviews

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NIH

NIH reviews

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Reviews by job title

Amazing resources, encumbered by the bureaucracy of the government.

clinical research nurse

Great place to work.

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