Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,440 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 1% over the last 12 months. 77% of employees would recommend working at Penn State to a friend and 56% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Penn State have been left by employees working as Student Grader , Undergraduate Teaching Assistant and Lab Assistant .

Does Penn State pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Penn State employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.6 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Penn State. This rating has decreased by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Penn State?

77% of Penn State employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Penn State 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 Penn State?

Graduate Research Assistant (392) , Research Assistant (323) , Teaching Assistant (95) , Graduate Student (74) , Graduate Teaching Assistant (71) , Graduate Assistant (68) , Intern (53) , Postdoctoral Scholar (48) , Assistant Professor (46) , Student Worker (44) , Undergraduate Research Assistant (44) , Postdoctoral Fellow (43) , PhD Student (39) , Learning Assistant (38) , Postdoctoral Researcher (35)

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

"Great benefits and protected by the union is a plus" ((in 313 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 265 reviews)); "The hours are flexible and you can choose when you want to come into lab as long as you get your work done." ((in 189 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 96 reviews)); "Good work environment and lots of learning." ((in 89 reviews))

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

"Very boring and structured as well as low paying." ((in 330 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 172 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 74 reviews)); "Lack of diversity (do not let the awards fool you)" ((in 26 reviews)); "Senior leadership won't invest in fixing root causes." ((in 24 reviews))

What are employees saying about Penn State layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed Penn State locations?

State College , University Park , Erie , Penn State University , Hershey , Harrisburg , Abington , Philadelphia , Altoona , Malvern , Middletown , Penn , Pittsburgh , Reading , York , Media , Monaca , Scranton , Allentown , New York , Lancaster , Washington , Center Valley , McKeesport , University Park , Los Angeles , Schuylkill Haven , University Park , Reston , Lehigh Valley

Penn State reviews

4.2

77% would recommend to a friend

(4,994 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

72% approve of CEO

56% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Diversity & inclusion

4.0

Work/Life balance

3.9

Culture & values

3.7

Career opportunities

3.6

Senior management

3.6

Compensation and benefits

Penn State has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 4,994 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Penn State employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

5K reviews

5.0

Feb 10, 2016

Residential Technician

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It's a great place to work and the hours are great. The work schedule is build around your school schedule so you can work between classes with out having long breaks. Great experience for after graduation. I would highly recommend working their.

Cons

None that I can think of.

4.0

Feb 10, 2016

Great Place to Work

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent health insurance benefits. Full-time employees earn two vacation days and one sick day each month, starting immediately. Plus, you get one personal day a year and everyone gets off the week between Christmas and New Year's. Friendly and encouraging/collaborative staff. Great students and supportive alumni network. Retirement options are PA State retirement system or TIAA-CREF - both pretty good.

Cons

No short term medical leave/no paid maternity leave (you have to use your vacation/sick days and then take any additional time off unpaid). PA State Retirement Systems benefits have had recent changes (less profitable/advantageous than previous years), so review and calculate carefully (good if you're planning on staying with PSU for the long-haul). Pay is 15-20% less than competitors in many positions (the excellent and affordable health benefits help make up for this).

3.0

Feb 10, 2016

Applied Research Laboratory- Audit Liaison

Audit liaison (accountant iv)

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Was able to review the great applied research being performed by engineers that directly contributes to national security and manufacturing technology,

Cons

The Applied Research Laboratory Business Operations had a culture that was not a good follow on opportunity to the numerous other high performing organizations that I had worked for previously.

Viewing 4237 - 4239 of 4,994 Reviews

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

University of Michigan

3.9★Compensation & Benefits

University of Washington

3.5★Compensation & Benefits

NYU (New York University)

3.9★Compensation & Benefits

Stanford University

3.6★Compensation & Benefits

Jobs at Penn State

Part-Time Research Assistant

Part-Time Research Assistant

Part-Time Lab Digital Assistant

Penn State

Penn State reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Residential Technician

Great Place to Work

Applied Research Laboratory- Audit Liaison

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at Penn State

Penn State reviews FAQs

Want the inside scoop on your own company?

Bowls

Followed companies

Job searches

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Penn State reviews FAQs

Jobs at Penn State