Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,425 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 55% 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?

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, 4.0 for culture and values and 3.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Penn State?

Graduate Research Assistant (390) , Research Assistant (322) , 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 (42) , 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 302 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 267 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 185 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 97 reviews)); "Good work environment" ((in 94 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 322 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 174 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 75 reviews)); "Lack of diversity (do not let the awards fool you)" ((in 26 reviews)); "Senior leadership won't invest in fixing root causes." ((in 23 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

77% would recommend to a friend

(4,981 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

72% approve of CEO

55% 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 4,981 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

Sep 12, 2012

Good student work

Library assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The sceduling was very flexible, the people were friendly and the application process was extremly simple with a short period of time between application and interview and between interview and offer.

Cons

The only real issue was that the compensation was poor. If you do work study, which I did not, you can receive a decent wage. However, part time student employies make between 7 and 8 dollars an hour which is not competative in this town.

2.0

Sep 11, 2012

Underpaid

Research technologist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Tuition discount for you and your family members

Cons

Salaries are horribly low for staff. There are no permanent part time positions and there are no benefits for part time workers.

5.0

Sep 5, 2012

A great place to live and work

Graduate research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Happy Valley is beautiful and the people are so friendly. IT's a great work environment for a graduate fellow in sciences since it is so strong in the STEM fields. There is no "bad" part of town, it's very safe.

Cons

getting around during the year when the undergrads are present is a little tough but it is what you would expect at a huge college town.

Viewing 4840 - 4842 of 4,981 Reviews

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Jobs at Penn State

Part Time Materials for the Creative Child

Penn State

Penn State reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Good student work

Underpaid

A great place to live and work

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Jobs at Penn State