Is Sweetwater a good company to work for?

Sweetwater has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 571 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has increased by 19% over the last 12 months. 81% of employees would recommend working at Sweetwater to a friend and 73% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Sweetwater have been left by employees working as Senior Sales Engineer , Sales Engineer and Marketing .

Does Sweetwater pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Sweetwater employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.0 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Sweetwater. This rating has improved by 17% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Sweetwater?

81% of Sweetwater employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Sweetwater 3.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.2 for culture and values and 4.1 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Sweetwater?

Sales Engineer (137) , Senior Sales Engineer (19) , Software Engineer (13) , Marketing (10) , Sales (9) , Account Coordinator (8) , Customer Service Representative (6) , Customer Service Representative (CSR) (5) , Guitar Gallery - Guitar Handler (5) , Guitar Technician (5) , Inventory and Shipping Specialist (5) , Packer (5) , Customer Service (4) , Distribution Center (4) , Product Support Specialist (4)

What are the pros of working at Sweetwater according to real employee reviews?

"Mostly great people on the bottom of the food chain." ((in 65 reviews)); "Great benefits and plus's for being an employee." ((in 50 reviews)); "The culture of Sweetwater is great for the most part but often feels forced and not fed." ((in 35 reviews)); "On site diner Cool coworkers" ((in 18 reviews)); "Sweetwater is an awesome place to work." ((in 13 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Sweetwater according to real employee reviews?

"micro management and cubicles" ((in 39 reviews)); "Low pay and no chance for advancement." ((in 27 reviews)); "Long hours if you want to even have a chance of making any money." ((in 20 reviews)); "Long hours are a must at the start if you wish to do well for yourself." ((in 12 reviews)); "Bad work life balance" ((in 11 reviews))

What are employees saying about Sweetwater layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Sweetwater layoffs and their outlook for job security at Sweetwater in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Sweetwater locations?

Fort Wayne , Litchfield Park , Fort Wayne , Arlington , New York , Glendale , Ann Arbor , Austin , Houston , Bloomington , Indianapolis , South Bend , Las Vegas , Charleston , Sandy Springs

Sweetwater reviews

4.2

81% would recommend to a friend

(541 total reviews)

Mike Clem

90% approve of CEO

73% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.2

Culture & values

4.1

Diversity & inclusion

4.1

Career opportunities

4.0

Compensation and benefits

3.9

Work/Life balance

3.9

Senior management

Sweetwater has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 541 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Sweetwater employee rating is 24% above average for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.4 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

541 reviews

3.0

Jan 25, 2017

Good Perks, But Doesn't Pay Most workers a living wage

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Can purchase gear at company cost

Cons

Mandatory overtime for warehouse, sometimes reaching 65-70 hrs a week. Not a lot of upward mobility.

Sweetwater Response

9y

We're sorry this employee isn't happy with the wages in our Distribution Center. Our starting rate there is $10 an hour, with a bump to $10.25 after the first 90 days. That translates to 41% higher than the current minimum wage. Typically employees receive annual increases each spring. The company also provides a lot of unique amenities not found at other area Distribution Centers for all employees (see our Career center page to check these out: free Health Club with Personal trainer, racquetball court, indoor golf simulator, DVD lending library, Medical clinic, gaming room, an onsite restaurant, gourmet coffee shop, and hair salon, concierge services, etc. ) and we pride ourselves on treating employees well. Last year all employees enjoyed two Christmas parties, a company picnic, a free trip to Cedar Point Amusement Park, free minor league sports outings, and a free turkey for their family at Thanksgiving. Though it's correct that there was a significant amount of overtime during our peak shipping period between Thanksgiving and Christmas (which of course paid out at time and a half) it is not something that occurs year round. Last year nearly 20% of employees in the Distribution Center received some form of promotion to a higher paying position. ---Jeff McDonald, Senior VP of HR

5.0

Jan 16, 2016

Fascinating Company

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I've been at Sweetwater for over 10 years, because a few things just continue to fascinate me: I have never seen an environment with so many good people. Ethical. Willing to serve. Refreshing to see a company this size stand for something. I have never seen a company that executes details at such a high level. Intense planning & training. Striving for customers to have perfect experiences. Intense focus on customer feedback. Constant improvement. I have never seen a company so willing to go above & beyond for customers. Not a tactic, but a sincere belief that we deserve that as humans. Employees empowered to do extraordinary things. Invest for the long-term & trust that the money will follow. Just refreshing.

Cons

Make sure you know what you are getting into. This is not a big public company. This is a very smart, nimble private company and the pace is 100MPH. Chuck is passionate about customers & holds the bar very high. You have to enjoy that level of energy & sense of accomplishment

5.0

Apr 26, 2015

Sales

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing place to work. The on-site amenities are unbelievable. The company sells top flight gear and has an amazing training program for sales engineers.

Cons

There really aren't a lot of downsides. Sometimes the hours were a little odd when working on special projects, but even that was pretty tolerable.

Viewing 124 - 126 of 541 Reviews

Jobs at Sweetwater

Music Store Sales Engineer

Home Audio Copywriter

Sweetwater

Sweetwater reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Good Perks, But Doesn't Pay Most workers a living wage

Fascinating Company

Sales

Jobs at Sweetwater

Sweetwater reviews FAQs

Want the inside scoop on your own company?

Bowls

Followed companies

Job searches

Sweetwater reviews FAQs

Jobs at Sweetwater