Is REI a good company to work for?

REI has an overall rating of 3.6 out of 5, based on over 4,509 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 63% of employees would recommend working at REI to a friend and 34% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about REI have been left by employees working as Store Sales Specialist , Retail Specialist and Frontline Staff .

Does REI pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, REI employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at REI. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at REI?

63% of REI employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated REI 3.8 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.8 for culture and values and 2.9 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at REI?

Sales Associate (636) , Sales Specialist (463) , Retail Sales Associate (327) , Retail Sales Specialist (179) , Sales Lead (151) , Customer Service Specialist (109) , Customer Service Representative (103) , Cashier (49) , Sales Associate/Cashier (38) , Retail Sales Manager (35) , Customer Service (31) , Warehouse Associate (31) , Sales (30) , Sales Representative (29) , Frontline Cashier (27)

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

"Great for people that enjoy the outdoors particularly if you are looking for deep discounts on outdoor product for yourself." ((in 477 reviews)); "Coworkers are great and the general technical acumen is high." ((in 363 reviews)); "They give you a great discount on all store merchandise as well as comprehensive benefits." ((in 326 reviews)); "REI has a great culture for those who are or want to be involved with the outdoors." ((in 194 reviews)); "Great work life balance is great." ((in 130 reviews))

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

"Low pay and even lower pay for those with over 20 years in the company." ((in 372 reviews)); "Bad management and not much growth" ((in 259 reviews)); "Some managers don't appreciate hard work and favor employees who make them feel liked." ((in 114 reviews)); "Long hours and difficult to have a consistent schedule" ((in 101 reviews)); "It’s still retail and the wages are low." ((in 28 reviews))

What are employees saying about REI layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed REI locations?

Seattle , Kent , Sumner , Denver , New York , San Diego , Portland , Atlanta , San Francisco , Austin , Chicago , Boston , Berkeley , Bellevue , Houston , Tustin , Boulder , Issaquah , Los Angeles , Goodyear , Salt Lake City , Framingham , Washington , Columbus , Bloomington , Dallas , San Antonio , Bedford , Phoenix , San Carlos

REI reviews

3.6

63% would recommend to a friend

(4,370 total reviews)

Mary Beth Laughton

38% approve of CEO

34% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.0

Diversity & inclusion

3.8

Culture & values

3.8

Work/Life balance

3.5

Compensation and benefits

3.0

Senior management

2.9

Career opportunities

REI has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 4,370 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The REI employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.5 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

4K reviews

4.0

Sep 27, 2014

Great company, low hourly rate.

Customer service specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great staff and management. Great benefits for employees.

Cons

Low pay rate. Customers definitely take advantage of the return policies. The selling of memberships feels slightly gimmicky.

2.0

Sep 25, 2014

Not the place to be if you are looking to advance.

Sales lead

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great coworkers, great discounts on gear, friendly engaging customers. Good backup from management when dealing with problems. Decent pay for retail. Good benefits package and bonus structure.

Cons

REI still can't figure out what it wants to be or where it wants to go, lack of corporate direction. Poor planning and forecasting in buying product. Slow, unclear ndorsement process leave employees at the mercy of their management team when it comes to advancement, does not reward real management talent. Limited scope for advancement and growth. Good talented people leaving for companies that better recognize and reward talent.

4.0

Sep 24, 2014

Fantastic Co-Workers and Local Management; Gap between Corporate and Local Stores

Sales specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Wonderful, capable co-workers and managers at my store. I was always learning, and felt very supported. Training was pretty minimal, but everyone was always happy to lend a hand when needed. Great employee perks and easy to get time off!

Cons

Retail environment was less than ideal, and we were often understaffed. Compensation is pretty minimal. Growing corporate culture being implemented from HQ with little regard for the actual workings of local stores. Very pushy about membership sales, which I think goes against the kind of company culture customers expect from REI.

Viewing 3901 - 3903 of 4,370 Reviews

Jobs at REI

Receiving Associate Full Time (Friday through Monday) 4am - 2:30pm

Receiving Associate Full Time - 2nd Shift (Mon-Thurs 3pm-130am)

Store Sales Specialist

Regional Director of Stores, Southeast

Fulfillment Warehouse Associate Full Time - 5th Shift (Fri - Mon 3pm - 130am)

REI

REI reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Great company, low hourly rate.

Not the place to be if you are looking to advance.

Fantastic Co-Workers and Local Management; Gap between Corporate and Local Stores

Jobs at REI

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