Is REI a good company to work for?

REI has an overall rating of 3.6 out of 5, based on over 4,508 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 improved by 1% over the last 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 (462) , Retail Sales Associate (327) , Retail Sales Specialist (179) , Sales Lead (151) , Customer Service Specialist (109) , Customer Service Representative (103) , Cashier (49) , Sales Associate/Cashier (37) , 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 468 reviews)); "Coworkers are great and the general technical acumen is high." ((in 361 reviews)); "Benefits including 401k and health insurance are great after you work for them for one year." ((in 328 reviews)); "REI has a great culture for those who are or want to be involved with the outdoors." ((in 195 reviews)); "Great work life balance is great." ((in 139 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 258 reviews)); "Some managers don't appreciate hard work and favor employees who make them feel liked." ((in 111 reviews)); "Long hours and difficult to have a consistent schedule" ((in 98 reviews)); "Senior Leadership has low awareness of the challenges of getting work done and dismisses the feedback from employees." ((in 61 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 , Austin , San Francisco , 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

(4,369 total reviews)

Mary Beth Laughton

38% approve of CEO

34% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

REI has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 4,369 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).

Reviews by job title

4K reviews

5.0

Jun 27, 2015

Absolutely LOVE working here

Customer service specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great laid back atmosphere, easy access to growth within company, performance review system based on performance and not an arbitrary time period, amazing discounts and vendor programs,access to employee use gear and educational classes or outings

Cons

starting pay is a bit low but with the frequency of performance reviews, that can change quickly (I got my first raise within 3 months of being hired)

5.0

Jun 23, 2015

Great for part-time work while in college

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great team of people, empowering work environment, amazing discounts.

Cons

Low upward mobility, you need to give a lot of availability, but often receive low hours.

4.0

Jun 22, 2015

All About the Coop

Customer service specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Working at REI was the best opportunity I was afforded during my Senior year of high school. As the youngest staff member at the time, I was treated as an equal and expected to perform at the same level as my peers.

Cons

Because most people had worked retail before, I was not as prepared to work the register and spent a lot of time learning on-the-go. The return policy can be frustrating, but this was the best opportunity I could have had to learn customer service skills. Absolutely loved my job.

Viewing 4015 - 4017 of 4,369 Reviews

Jobs at REI

Forklift-Cherry Picker/SP/OP operator/warehouse associate-First Shift/Fulltime/ Mon-Thurs

Stocking Equipment Operator - Full Time (Friday Through Monday) 4am - 2:30pm

Forklift-CherryPicker/SP/OP Operator/Warehouse Associate- First Shift/ Part Time/ Sun-Mon/ 5am-3pm

Forklift-Cherry Picker/SP/OP Operator/Warehouse Associate- First Shift/Part Time/Thur-Fri/5am-3pm

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

REI

REI reviews

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Absolutely LOVE working here

Great for part-time work while in college

All About the Coop

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