Is REI a good company to work for?

REI has an overall rating of 3.6 out of 5, based on over 4,506 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 (460) , 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 474 reviews)); "Coworkers are great and the general technical acumen is high." ((in 358 reviews)); "They give you a great discount on all store merchandise as well as comprehensive benefits." ((in 353 reviews)); "REI has a great culture for those who are or want to be involved with the outdoors." ((in 192 reviews)); "Great work life balance is great." ((in 137 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 378 reviews)); "Bad management and not much growth" ((in 264 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 101 reviews)); "Positions are constantly changed and layoffs are very common" ((in 27 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

(4,367 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 4,367 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

4.0

Dec 16, 2012

Enjoy the Outdoors

Sales associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Everyone that works for REI is friendly. So are the customers.

Cons

Advancement in the company can be difficult. Not much room for growth unless you want to work for HQ.

4.0

Dec 3, 2012

Great culture, still retail

Customer service specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

REI places great emphasis on work/life balance, offers great discounts, and generally has an open culture that fosters teamwork. They are a great to work for as an employee who needs an accommodation plan. The gear discount is the biggest benefit of working in retail there.

Cons

Availability requirements for regular employment requires weekends (at least Saturday or Sunday). The revolving door aspect, while a feature of all retail creates a feeling of being disposable. Can feel at times like the corporate office looks down on the retail side.

4.0

Nov 4, 2012

Always striving to improve the member experience

Manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Truly NICE people Wealth of customer data to make smart decisions Strong culture of ethics, integrity, stewardship

Cons

Leadership is slow to respond to changes in market Extremely difficult to get promoted Base pay is lower than average, but bonuses can sometimes make up for it Massive influx of new people is weakening the employee culture

Viewing 4153 - 4155 of 4,367 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

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

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

REI

REI reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Enjoy the Outdoors

Great culture, still retail

Always striving to improve the member experience

Jobs at REI

REI reviews FAQs

Want the inside scoop on your own company?

Bowls

Followed companies

Job searches

REI reviews FAQs

Company ratings over time

Jobs at REI