Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,437 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 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 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 3.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Penn State?

Graduate Research Assistant (392) , Research Assistant (323) , Teaching Assistant (96) , 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 310 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 255 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 184 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 97 reviews)); "Good work environment" ((in 90 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 327 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 171 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 75 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

Penn State reviews

4.2

78% would recommend to a friend

(4,993 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

72% approve of CEO

56% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (4,993 reviews)

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 4,993 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

3.0

Jun 27, 2015

IT Consultant

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good work/life balance, decent benefits. IT is changing rapidly so there are periodic waves of opportunity. Some units have great profdev budgets.

Cons

IT is changing rapidly because it is over a decade behind in many respects. There are political issues due to a lack of accountability and tools that reward performance and deter nonsense.

3.0

Jun 25, 2015

IT Service Desk

Its service help desk consultant supervisor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Access to many benefits. Access to many sources. Great entry level IT job. The best job for students studying IT fields at Penn State.

Cons

Pay does not match up to knowledge and work that is conducted.

4.0

Jun 25, 2015

Grad student

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The research facilities are excellent, up to date and well staffed. Safety is a top priority and there are numerous university resources available.

Cons

As with any research university, professors are very busy and frequently traveling out of town and are unavailable. Some buildings are in need of renovation.

Viewing 4447 - 4449 of 4,993 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

Camp Host at Pemigewasset

District Manager at Hiawatha East

Marketing Dept Undergraduate Research Assistant – Phone Survey

Penn State

Penn State reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

IT Consultant

IT Service Desk

Grad student

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at Penn State