Is UC Merced a good company to work for?

UC Merced has an overall rating of 4.0 out of 5, based on over 704 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 79% of employees would recommend working at UC Merced to a friend and 50% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about UC Merced have been left by employees working as Undergraduate Research Assistant , Student Assistant and Graduate Student Researcher .

Does UC Merced pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, UC Merced employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at UC Merced. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at UC Merced?

79% of UC Merced employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated UC Merced 3.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.8 for culture and values and 3.5 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at UC Merced?

Teaching Assistant (26) , Student Assistant (20) , Graduate Teaching Assistant (18) , Graduate Research Assistant (17) , Research Assistant (15) , Graduate Student (12) , Postdoctoral Fellow (12) , Undergraduate Research Assistant (12) , Graduate Student Researcher (10) , Lecturer (9) , Learning Assistant (7) , Student Technology Consultant (7) , Student Worker (7) , Administrative Assistant (6) , Postdoctoral Researcher (6)

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

"Friendly people at a growing campus" ((in 32 reviews)); "Great benefits, set schedules and no overtime." ((in 27 reviews)); "Staff is friendly and is always willing to help." ((in 14 reviews)); "Good work environment" ((in 13 reviews)); "Nice campus" ((in 12 reviews))

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

"DO not promote internal and low pay." ((in 24 reviews)); "Low salary but it will increase because of the recent strike" ((in 6 reviews)); "Lack of established priorities and Leadership" ((in 6 reviews)); "Scheduling and upper management not understanding needs of team" ((in 5 reviews)); "Lack of communication, Mainly virtual" ((in 5 reviews))

What are employees saying about UC Merced layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed UC Merced locations?

Merced , Houston , Atwater , Burbank , Los Angeles , Modesto , Patterson , Riverside , San Diego , Discovery Bay , San Jose , Tracy , Boulder , University Place , Calif City

UC Merced reviews

4.0

79% would recommend to a friend

(649 total reviews)

Dorothy Leland

75% approve of CEO

50% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (649 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

UC Merced has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 649 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The UC Merced employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

649 reviews

3.0

Sep 12, 2023

A Rapidly Declining Workplace

Lecturer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Not the worst place to live Generally kind and thoughtful students

Cons

Mismanagement from upper admin is leading to widespread layoffs, because of course those responsible for budget shortfalls can't be held accountable themselves.

5.0

Aug 21, 2022

Great

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Very enjoyable, good people to work with

Cons

Lower pay compared to areas with higher COL

2.0

May 25, 2022

No Protection

Graduate research/teaching assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Autonomy (often without guidance) and no stakes. Prestigious place of employment as a UC campus.

Cons

No HR, no consequences for harassment from supervisor, administrative laziness and neglect, CYA everyday all day. An abundance of vicious (or careless or spineless) people who have no idea how to resolve conflict or develop students into professionals, let alone conduct themselves professionally.

Viewing 13 - 15 of 649 Reviews

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Jobs at UC Merced

Postdoctoral Scholar Positions in Phase-Change Heat Transfer in Mechanical Engineering (Multiple Hire Recruitment)

Postdoctoral Scholar Positions in Nanoscale Heat Transfer in Mechanical Engineering (Multiple Hire Recruitment)

Teaching Assistant in Chemistry & Chemical Biology / Natural Sciences: AY 26-27, Includes Summer 2026 (Anticipated)

Undergraduate Tutor for University Writing Center, Summer 2026/AY 2026-2027

Grant Writer (Academic Coordinator II)

UC Merced

UC Merced reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

A Rapidly Declining Workplace

Great

No Protection

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at UC Merced