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

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Disability

Parent or family caregiver

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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

4.0

Oct 31, 2022

Great job with perks for out door jobs. But management…

Sales lead

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good deals on gear. Amazing deals. Good community if you get into it with people. Great if you love the outdoors Good scheduling if you are liked

Cons

Politics are a lot in the Seattle location. Be amazing do exactly what they say and you’ll be good. Management that is either fake or have been there for way too long. Some Snobbish people. People who thing they know it all or to “rich” “smart” to be told to do things. It’s higher end retail with 300 plus employees. Love to act like they care but really don’t as a person. The best way to get into management is to become friends with a manger. Doesn’t matter your skill level it’s about how you can make a friend there. My talk is only about Seattle. Not sure about the rest of REI’s. But after 10 years they really don’t invest in their employees. You get into the social group of management or a middle aged male who acts professional all the time. “Not the typical person working there” I have a lot to say about this place 10 years you tend to see a lot and learn a lot.

1.0

May 15, 2022

REI ALLOWS ABUSE AND HARASSMENT

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

None. There are no pros working for this criminal enterprise.

Cons

REI isn't what the image portrays, they're corporate facists who don't follow their own rules and allow employees to be bullied and harassed. REI does NOT uphold DEI.

5.0

Mar 10, 2022

Best job i’ve had so far

Operations

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- good company values! - they value a life outdoors ex: once a quarter you get a wayday and get paid to do an outdoor activity - they actively work towards creating community such as organizing local running groups, workshops, etc - greenvestmemes - as a float I enjoy switching up my schedule and being in many different depts depending on where they need me - the team feels family like and you will feel valued working here - lots of room for growth not just as an employee but as a person

Cons

- **feels like memberships are over everything** - depending on dept and lead.. training for a dept ranges from thorough to non existent - since we’re almost always understaffed sometimes you’re completely slammed trying to help too many customers who need extended help at once - hours aren’t very consistent for me ranging from working 2 days and then suddenly 6 - scheduling is often a nightmare you have to request days off sometimes even months in advance though it’s just an average wednesday - the union busting going on a soho… very disappointing and not what i know rei to value - for a good 3 months i realized i made almost a dollar less than the new hires even though i had worked there for a year. when i brought it to their attention they didn’t see it as me asking for equal pay but for a raise.

Viewing 271 - 273 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

Receiving Associate 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

REI

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Reviews by job title

Great job with perks for out door jobs. But management…

REI ALLOWS ABUSE AND HARASSMENT

Best job i’ve had so far

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