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 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 4,367 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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

4K reviews

5.0

Jul 14, 2012

Great Place to Work!!

Sales specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great People work here and you get good pay for the work your doing. Additionally you get an excellent discount and free rental of lots of cool gear. Finally, there is a strong focus on life work balance.

Cons

The hours can be minimal, and sometimes work can a bit tedious. Also, lots of other employees are not into out door activities.

4.0

Jun 22, 2012

You'll probably love working here

Retail sales

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

-Retail starts at 9.75 -Great discounts (50% on REI brand) -ProDeals -Opportunities to teach clinics -Surrounded by outdoorsy people -Community service at local parks Compared to the pay and cultures at many other retail shops, REI is satisfying place to work, especially part time.

Cons

-Emphasis on selling memberships and the daily conversion rate This can become a bit tedious. Depending on the individual vibe of your store, management may come down on you if you fail to convert a certain percentage of customers.

5.0

May 29, 2012

Frontline (cashier)

Front line

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

You get the opportunity to move around to different stores as a green vest. You get health care, awesome deals on gear, meet people who enjoy the out doors, and get to learn new activities with co-workers. Stealing to not tolerated at all as an employee. Many of the people I work with are fantastic, they are really helpful when it comes to trying new things in the outdoor.s Great knowledge base among the the staff. Co-workers want to go out with each other and do things. They help you feel comfortable with what your doing for the first time. If you don't understand something they will help you out.

Cons

It takes a while for people to get fired who should be. Like every retail job you get great customers but man when you get the jerk ones, you really do get them (doesn't happen to often Like one every 6-11 months). Only FULL time people are management.

Viewing 4165 - 4167 of 4,367 Reviews

Jobs at REI

Store Sales Specialist

Store Sales Specialist

0299 - Loveland CO - Store Sales Specialist

Store Sales Specialist

REI

REI reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Great Place to Work!!

You'll probably love working here

Frontline (cashier)

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