Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,433 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 (391) , 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 322 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 263 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 193 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 99 reviews)); "The campus is beautiful and the seasons can be wonderful" ((in 86 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 334 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 171 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 72 reviews)); "The organization is not diverse or especially aware of its lack of diversity." ((in 28 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 , Stroudsburg

Penn State reviews

4.2

78% would recommend to a friend

(4,989 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

72% approve of CEO

56% 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 4,989 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

5.0

Feb 24, 2015

Great opportunity

Telefundraiser

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

-Great opportunity to gain valuable experience in communications, sales, negotiation, and overcoming rejection. -Fun work environment -Great co-workers -commissions/bonus

Cons

-Can be stressful at home (but it is a call center so what do you expect?)

4.0

Feb 23, 2015

College town nice to live

Graduate teaching assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Quiet and safe town. Living easy.

Cons

Not very convenient for go out of town. Two hours for nearest city.

2.0

Feb 18, 2015

Great if you're full time, horrible if part time.

Library assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Working with the students is great and very satisfying, you really feel like you are making a difference to them by working here. There are a lot of varied job opportunities for faculty and staff.

Cons

As a part time worker, they love to claim advancement from within is common but I've found that if you want a full time job here you're much better off being from outside because they never promote from within. Leadership, especially managerial and supervisory level is poor at best and there's a culture that encourages no change from within. There is very definite discrimination against the part time people. There are no benefits at all for the part time workers, not even a discount for classes which I've never experienced at a college before.

Viewing 4528 - 4530 of 4,989 Reviews

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Jobs at Penn State

Buffet Attendant/Food Runner $15 per hour + tips

Student Library Assistant

Penn State

Penn State reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Great opportunity

College town nice to live

Great if you're full time, horrible if part time.

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at Penn State