Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,444 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 2% over the last 12 months. 78% of employees would recommend working at Penn State to a friend and 57% 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?

78% of Penn State employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Penn State 4.1 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) , Learning Assistant (39) , PhD Student (39) , 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 306 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 264 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 200 reviews)); "Good work environment in the lab" ((in 100 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 100 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 325 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 174 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 72 reviews)); "Lack of diversity (do not let the awards fool you)" ((in 25 reviews)); "Senior leadership won't invest in fixing root causes." ((in 22 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

Skip to content Skip to footer

Notifications

Penn State

Penn State reviews

4.2

78% would recommend to a friend

(1,129 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

72% approve of CEO

57% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Diversity & inclusion

4.1

Work/Life balance

3.9

Culture & values

3.7

Career opportunities

3.6

Senior management

3.6

Compensation and benefits

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

1K reviews

Reviews about "Compensation"

Return to all reviews

1.0

Jul 5, 2022

Not a good place to work

Admin support 3

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Coworkers friendly, break at Christmas, working with the students

Cons

Can't afford to live on salary, no respsect from management for the staff, decent raises only go to uper management employees get very little, tuition discount not worth anything, pay for campus parking....

3.0

Jun 25, 2022

Decent

Graduate student

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great communication within the departments

Cons

Pay is not fair for amount worked, unlivable wage

2.0

Jun 25, 2022

Mediocre pay, very little opportunity for advancement, but good work/life balance

Associate research professor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Job has a good work/life balance and a fair amount of freedom to pursue your own ideas.

Cons

Pay is significantly lower than industry jobs with similar positions, very little opportunity for advancement if you aren't on the tenure track.

Viewing 427 - 429 of 1,129 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

Administrative Assistant – Office for Research and Graduate Education

Student Account Associate

Part-Time Library Support Staff

Administrative Support Assistant, Residence Life

Administrative Support Assistant, Central Office