Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,438 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 1% 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 been stable over the past 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, 4.0 for culture and values and 3.8 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 311 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 190 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 94 reviews)); "The campus is beautiful and the seasons can be wonderful" ((in 81 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 173 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 74 reviews)); "Lack of diversity (do not let the awards fool you)" ((in 27 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

78% would recommend to a friend

(4,992 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

73% approve of CEO

57% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Penn State has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 4,992 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).

Reviews by job title

5K reviews

4.0

Dec 18, 2015

Pollock Dining Commons Student Worker

Student worker

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Fairly easy work as long as you don't walk in with an attitude. I was promoted after 2 semesters to Chef's Assistant and received employee of the month without really doing a lot of hard work.

Cons

Chefs in the kitchen are so catty and gossipy.

3.0

Dec 13, 2015

Instructor

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible work schedule, autonomy, close commute

Cons

Instructors are grossly underpaid at the university.

3.0

Dec 12, 2015

You Can Do Better

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great vacation and sick time, 75% off education for your family, typical health benefits, as well as some other benefits around the University (half off your football donation, ability to be a member at the campus gym, etc). This is the first place I have worked where people stroll in at 8:30am and leave promptly at 5:00pm.

Cons

Horrible pay for support staff unless you have worked there for 15+ years then you are drastically overpaid. Employees are set in their ways and refuse to change. The inefficiencies of the University are so blatant and have to be a huge waste of time and money. You have to look out for your own career and pay because no one else will. There are no internal promotions, you must apply to a job with outside candidates.

Viewing 4291 - 4293 of 4,992 Reviews

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Jobs at Penn State

Student Library Assistant

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Penn State

Penn State reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Pollock Dining Commons Student Worker

Instructor

You Can Do Better

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Jobs at Penn State