Does Populous pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Populous employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.4 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Populous. This rating has decreased by 5% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Populous?

68% of Populous employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Populous 2.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.6 for culture and values and 3.6 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Populous?

Architect (42) , Architectural Designer (28) , Architectural Assistant (9) , Designer (8) , Associate (5) , BIM Coordinator (4) , Landscape Architect (4) , Senior Architect (4) , Architectural Graduate (3) , Senior Architectural Designer (3) , Senior Designer (3) , Arch Designer II (2) , Architect Technician (2) , Architecture Designer (2) , Graduate Architect (2)

What are the pros of working at Populous according to real employee reviews?

"All are great people to work with" ((in 21 reviews)); "Great culture and people who are easy to work with" ((in 13 reviews)); "Good people and good benefits" ((in 9 reviews)); "Nice office" ((in 7 reviews)); "They recognized my strengths and gave me the opportunity to manage projects for the first time; I didn't disappoint and felt valued for the hard work I put in." ((in 4 reviews))

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

"Hours are long and unsustainable." ((in 9 reviews)); "Low salaries are becoming a problem for a lot of people in the company" ((in 8 reviews)); "Poor leadership" ((in 7 reviews)); "Bad managers" ((in 4 reviews)); "Definite hierarchy and long hours" ((in 4 reviews))

What are employees saying about Populous layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Populous layoffs and their outlook for job security at Populous in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Populous locations?

Kansas City , Dallas , Denver , New York , Los Angeles , Houston

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Populous

Populous reviews

3.6

68% would recommend to a friend

(185 total reviews)

Bruce Miller

71% approve of CEO

58% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.6

Culture & values

3.6

Career opportunities

3.5

Diversity & inclusion

3.4

Compensation and benefits

3.0

Senior management

2.9

Work/Life balance

Populous has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 185 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Populous employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

185 reviews

5.0

Jul 16, 2025

Good

Assosiate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Is a good place to work

Cons

I have nothing bad to say

3.0

Jul 15, 2025

Strong visuals, but urban design feels like stadium thinking scaled up

Urban designer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

1. Opportunity to work on large-scale international masterplans and competitions 2. The office environment is generally organised, and the support teams (HR, operations) are efficient. 3. There's a strong emphasis on visual presentation—lots of chances to polish your rendering and computational design skills 4. Access to multidisciplinary teams 5. The architecture team is highly experienced

Cons

1. The urban design team doesn’t feel as established or grounded as the architecture side, often more focused on visual impact than true urban strategy. 2. Limited emphasis on urban systems, context, or public realm thinking compared to more urbanism-focused practices. 3. Urban design leadership may lack the depth or experience typically expected in complex, multi-scalar planning. 4. Feedback and collaboration can feel top-down, with little space for discourse or critical engagement. 5. Internal dynamics and personal relationships within leadership can sometimes complicate team communication and objectivity.

5.0

Jul 14, 2025

Great Overall

Graphic designer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Supportive team with great management

Cons

You have to play a bit of corporate politics

Viewing 31 - 33 of 185 Reviews

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Jobs at Populous

Project Planning Coordinator

Project Planning Coordinator

Administrative Assistant

Architectural Designer II

Project Planning Coordinator - Events