Is REI a good company to work for?

REI has an overall rating of 3.6 out of 5, based on over 4,507 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 (461) , 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 466 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 332 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 129 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 373 reviews)); "Bad management and not much growth" ((in 247 reviews)); "Some managers don't appreciate hard work and favor employees who make them feel liked." ((in 112 reviews)); "Long hours and difficult to have a consistent schedule" ((in 100 reviews)); "Low wages and hours here." ((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 , 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

(4,368 total reviews)

Mary Beth Laughton

35% 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 4,368 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

Jul 12, 2013

Great Company

Sales specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

fun people, fun atmosphere, customers are usually excited to be there, decent starting pay for retail.

Cons

occasionally get scheduled for a close the open shift, sometimes understaffed

5.0

Jul 9, 2013

Sales Associate

Sales associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Everyone is nice, good benefits, caring company, management is encouraging, positive work atmosphere.

Cons

very few cons in my experience. Some other employees have complained about being occasionally scheduled with closing shifts one day and opening shifts the next, but that's really not that bad.

4.0

Jul 7, 2013

Great company

Sales specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I have worked for REI for 5+ years as both a sales specialist on the retail floor and and outdoor school climbing instructor. The customer base in stores and the field is really great and the staff are generally good. Selling outdoor gear is really fun and inspiring.

Cons

Scheduling is very in consistent. If you are looking for a full time (35+ hrs) REI might not be the place for you. Also management have tendency to hire only based on customer service experience and not their experience in the outdoors.

Viewing 4135 - 4137 of 4,368 Reviews

Jobs at REI

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

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

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

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Great Company

Sales Associate

Great company

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