Sweetwater reviews

4.2

81% would recommend to a friend

(541 total reviews)
avatar

Mike Clem

90% approve of CEO

73% positive business outlook

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).

Reviews by job title

541 reviews
5.0
Jun 10, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You are empowered to essentially run your own business. However, you have the unending support of the management team. The entire Sweetwater building is pretty much built for it's employees.

Cons

Some of the senior sales guys can be jerks. A healthy portion of the sales team is nice and willing to help, some guys though are just out to remove their competition.

3.0
Oct 13, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

100% commission, you decide how much you wish to work and/or earn. Ft Wayne cost of living is close to the lowest in the nation which can be attractive for young couples and/or families. Constant manufacturer training on products will keep you on top of technology. If you're into recording equipment, you can obtain a lot of gear cheap if not free through spiffs and offers. The occasional phone conversation with well-known professional artists is fun. Once settled into the job, your coworkers feel like fraternity brothers.

Cons

Make no mistake, inside the cool building, nice modern decor, and people making 60K-90K a year...this is a telephone sales job in a music store. There is not much work/life balance at the beginning; it's all work, long hours, weekends, etc... Stressful environment, highly competitive, and management does not intervene between salesperson conflicts. Unless you are dedicated to making 100+ outbound calls a day, everyday for the first year, it can be difficult to earn more than $35K. While it is true there are people who have worked there for 20 years, most new hires quit within the first 2. Most sales engineers stop doing music and eventually lose interest in music once they start working at Sweetwater due to the stress of the job. While you can buy a nice house for cheap there, you may not be able to sell it when you leave Sweetwater due to the steady declining Ft Wayne economy that has been dying for the last 50 years. Once a major factory town, Ft Wayne is in the heart of America's Rust Belt.

1.0
Mar 20, 2026

STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

None that I can think of

Cons

If you’re thinking of working here: FULL STOP. Do not. This company is bigoted, homophobic, and retaliatory. There is so much underhanded mismanagement and backstabbing. It’s clear that management doesn’t understand how to do their jobs and they will throw you under the bus the first chance they get. Things are documented behind your back without your knowledge. Managers are inept at doing their jobs and HR is worthless. If you’re thinking of moving here for the job, DO NOT. You will regret it.

Viewing 151 - 153 of 541 Reviews

Glassdoor has 571 Sweetwater reviews submitted anonymously by Sweetwater employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Sweetwater is right for you.