Is Penn State a good company to work for?

Penn State has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 5,426 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 308 reviews)); "The people are great and friendly" ((in 262 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 186 reviews)); "Good work environment" ((in 100 reviews)); "Nice and friendly staff." ((in 93 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 333 reviews)); "2， salary is low" ((in 175 reviews)); "poor management and sometimes toxic" ((in 72 reviews)); "Lack of diversity (do not let the awards fool you)" ((in 26 reviews)); "Senior leadership won't invest in fixing root causes." ((in 20 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

(4,982 total reviews)

Eric J. Barron

72% approve of CEO

55% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

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Penn State has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 4,982 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

2.0

Mar 8, 2009

Penn State isnt bad, but Spanier is

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

-state college is a cheap place to live, friendly people, safe town, great atmosphere -school paper is great for some laughs when you're feeling down -students raising money for kids with cancer through THON -you can meet the most amazing students -games at beaver stadium -state college spikes

Cons

-faculty are often too stuck up to realize that they are, many faculty get caught up in their numerous committees, that allocate waste of precious university money. -the weight room is not open before 630 M-F -parking services will ticket your car in less than 5 minutes when you're in the wrong zone

2.0

Dec 9, 2008

Interesting DoD signal processing work in submarine sonar if you can live with no management (Univ. of Texas)

Research engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

This *was* a research facility in Austin, Texas, where you could learn a lot about signal processing. Interesting technical work in a niche field (high-frequency sonar for submarines); offers some good signal processing and signal detection experience. Great opportunities to attend graduate school for a master's degree (they'll pay). You could even earn a Ph.D. (they'll pay) if you are truly dedicated and don't want a personal life. This is a division of The University of Texas at Austin, so close ties to higher-ed. Steady work. A few opportunities still around to explore new technology and science; they buy a lot of new computers to play with. Very flat management hierarchy: only 4 people in the chain from bottom employee to division head; Pay is decent but not great. Some travel if you like that.

Cons

These days it's become just another software production company. Turns out new feature set every 1-2 years, but very poor software quality. Not really doing much research anymore in our department; just writing code to make more GUIs. Morale is low. No Q/A, unit testing, code reviews, detailed design, or coding standards -- just "slapped-together" software that meets minimum requirements. Folks have lost a lot of pride in what they do these days. Micro-management in this division; engineers pushed into management roles with no training; management has a difficult time communicating the project vision, status, and requirements to engineers. Too often people discover they have a product or delivery due in just a few days or weeks because of poor planning by and communication from management. No bonuses or stock options. Health care benefits are good but seem pricey (about $6k/year for a family after UT kicks in their part). Very little continuing education offered except the opportunity to go to Univ. of Texas for a degree (bachelors, masters, and Ph.D.)

4.0

Nov 7, 2008

Go Lions

Graduate research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Small town expenses and great place to live. Great libraries, and school system. The community is very safe. There are a lot of things to do in the town. It is very close to mountains and hikes and hence is great for people with liking for outdoor activities. The environment overall is very intellectually challenging if you are able to find the right group and right set of people. The crime rate is extremely low. The school system is good too. Working in the university offers some degree of job security. It is a good place to retire and especially if one is towards the end of the career and planning on moving to a quieter place.

Cons

It is not very close to any major cities

Viewing 220 - 222 of 4,982 Reviews

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Jobs at Penn State

Penn State

Penn State reviews

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Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Penn State isnt bad, but Spanier is

Interesting DoD signal processing work in submarine sonar if you can live with no management (Univ. of Texas)

Go Lions

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at Penn State