Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,441 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 296 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 97 reviews)); "Good work environment and lots of learning." ((in 95 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Penn State according to real employee reviews?

"Very low pay and no chance for a raise unless you change jobs within the university." ((in 324 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 174 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 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 , 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

4.0

May 19, 2024

Positive review

Administrative assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Dayturn, flex time, good co-workers, good benefit package, retirement plans avail.

Cons

Staff does more than just their job title/job description since campus is so small; staff that's paid out of dept budgets don't get overtime pay unless approved which is rare; even with new Comp Modernization initiative in place staff if underpaid

3.0

May 13, 2024

Not bad

Research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Nice university environment to work in

Cons

Salary not high as a PhD student

3.0

May 5, 2024

Low salary

Instructional production specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Provides technology needed to do the job (computer, adapters, additional displays, printer, office cubicle etc), beautiful campus, 75% tuition discount for 1st degree obtained while employed as full time, offers health insurance & 401K

Cons

Low pay, difficulty to grow without a masters degree, micromanagement, poor communication, management is not personable

Viewing 175 - 177 of 1,129 Reviews

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