Is Penguin Random House a good company to work for?

Penguin Random House has an overall rating of 3.9 out of 5, based on over 1,558 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 70% of employees would recommend working at Penguin Random House to a friend and 73% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Penguin Random House have been left by employees working as Editorial Intern , Intern and Director .

Does Penguin Random House pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Penguin Random House employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.3 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Penguin Random House . This rating has decreased by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Penguin Random House ?

70% of Penguin Random House employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Penguin Random House 3.7 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.0 for culture and values and 3.3 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Penguin Random House ?

Editorial Assistant (50) , Editor (33) , Intern (29) , Editorial Intern (25) , Publicity Assistant (22) , Designer (21) , Marketing Assistant (20) , Publicity Intern (15) , Assistant Editor (13) , Director (13) , Senior Designer (13) , Manager (12) , Graphic Designer (11) , Marketing Coordinator (11) , Author (10)

What are the pros of working at Penguin Random House according to real employee reviews?

"Great benefit as well as perks" ((in 188 reviews)); "The people were great and everyone wants to help you succeed." ((in 137 reviews)); "Very colourful and vibrant office; has a pulp shelf offering free books" ((in 90 reviews)); "Great team and colleagues" ((in 69 reviews)); "Great work/life balance" ((in 46 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Penguin Random House according to real employee reviews?

"Pay was low and that was about it" ((in 145 reviews)); "Poor management and can be improved" ((in 32 reviews)); "Lack of diversity and inclusivity." ((in 23 reviews)); "long hours which lead to no life" ((in 14 reviews)); "Limited career progression" ((in 13 reviews))

What are employees saying about Penguin Random House layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed Penguin Random House locations?

New York , Westminster , Crawfordsville , Brooklyn , Baltimore , Hampstead , Chicago , Los Angeles , San Francisco , Reno , Woodstock , Kirkwood , Forest Hills , Austin , Victoria , Gulfport , England , Carmel , Indianapolis , Cincinnati , Emeryville , Mountain View , Iowa City , Seattle , New Milford , Atlanta , Old Tappan , Remote , Antares , Canada

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Penguin Random House

Penguin Random House reviews

3.9

70% would recommend to a friend

(1,194 total reviews)

Nihar Malaviya

76% approve of CEO

73% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.0

Culture & values

3.8

Diversity & inclusion

3.7

Work/Life balance

3.4

Senior management

3.3

Compensation and benefits

3.3

Career opportunities

Penguin Random House has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 1,194 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Penguin Random House employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Media & Communication industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

1K reviews

3.0

Nov 13, 2016

Review

Editorial assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Affordable benefits, generous vacation/sick/personal days, new assistance program for student loans

Cons

Pay not conducive to cost of living, little to no chance for movement/raises

3.0

Sep 17, 2016

Overworked and in upheaval, but not alone

Associate editor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Everyone is amazing, such a welcoming and warm group - like family Exciting projects and talented authors Open door policy with higher-ups West Village adjacent location is wonderful - so many lunch choices!! (Too bad they are moving the office to midtown in 3 years)

Cons

Layoffs have caused distrust and feelings of helplessness People rarely say what needs to be said about issues with poor management Overwhelming workload with no overtime pay

4.0

Aug 10, 2016

Editorial Assistant

Editorial assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good work-life balance and benefits. The option to have summer hours is amazing, as is their generous vacation policy. Great access to loads of free books. The company culture depends on whether you work at Penguin or Random House. Penguin is a bit more casual, while Random House is definitely more corporate. Both are fun environments to work in, and everyone (literally) is always willing to lend a hand to get a book out on time or answer questions you have. We're all trying to help each other make the best books possible, and it shows.

Cons

Salaries could be a little higher, but hey, it's publishing. Promotions don't happen all that often, at least in editorial.

Viewing 202 - 204 of 1,194 Reviews

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Jobs at Penguin Random House

Director, Online & Digital Sales (Open to Remote)

Senior Designer, WHO HQ, Penguin Young Readers (Open to Remote)

Crawfordsville, Indiana: Light Picker/Packer: 3rd shift $18.40/hr

Production Assistant – Audio (On-site)

Reno, NV: Light Picker/Packer: 2nd shift $18.00/hr

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Overworked and in upheaval, but not alone

Editorial Assistant

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