Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,440 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 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 decreased by 1% over the last 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, 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) , 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 314 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 259 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)); "Good work environment" ((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 324 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 176 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 73 reviews)); "Lack of diversity (do not let the awards fool you)" ((in 26 reviews)); "Senior leadership won't invest in fixing root causes." ((in 21 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

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Penn State

Penn State reviews

4.2

77% would recommend to a friend

(1,129 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

72% approve of CEO

56% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Diversity & inclusion

4.0

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

3.0

Apr 25, 2013

Rese

Programmer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

University environment is nice to work in, but nothing to innovative in administrative IT. Working in research labs or areas is better than IT, but also is not that secure if that's what you are looking for.

Cons

Pay is very low as the university is constantly squeezing the budget.

4.0

Apr 4, 2013

Lots of inefficiencies but Penn State is willing to change, just takes some effort

It consultant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

There is a large number of passionate and motivated people who want to make a difference by making student's lives and experience better. There are a large number of resources available to tab into to get things done.

Cons

Like a lot of large organizations, it can be a bureaucratic headache. There can be some unfairness across different departments where one supervisor might give more pay, better evaluations, more flexibility than another supervisor for the same or worse employees.

2.0

Mar 21, 2013

Always remember you are replaceable.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Very good facilities, willing to spend their resources on the latest equipment. Good snow removal. Nice landscaping. Good catering service.

Cons

lower salaries and poorer benefits than at other local institutions. will not spend resources to attract quality management for academic programs

Viewing 1114 - 1116 of 1,129 Reviews

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Jobs at Penn State

Undergraduate Research Assistant on Tephra Analysis- GEOSCI

Part Time - Biofuels - Research Assistant

Part-Time Graphic Designer for Professional Development Events

Research and Development Engineering Intern

Part-Time Lab Digital Assistant