Does Boston University pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Boston University employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.6 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Boston University. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Boston University?

81% of Boston University employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Boston University 4.1 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.0 for culture and values and 3.8 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Boston University?

Research Assistant (292) , Teaching Assistant (118) , Graduate Student (99) , Graduate Research Assistant (82) , Graduate Teaching Assistant (63) , Office Assistant (62) , PhD Student (61) , Administrative Assistant (38) , Student Worker (35) , Assistant Director (34) , Program Manager (32) , Postdoctoral Fellow (29) , PhD Graduate Student (27) , Postdoctoral Associate (27) , PhD Candidate (26)

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

"Good benefits and on campus housing" ((in 287 reviews)); "great research environment and people" ((in 211 reviews)); "As an intern usually faculty are award of your situation and allow you flexible hours." ((in 112 reviews)); "Great work life balance and care." ((in 74 reviews)); "Great community and colleagues." ((in 67 reviews))

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

"Low pay and some of the entry level coworker are not very professional" ((in 241 reviews)); "Low salary for research scientist (social sciences); job insecurity due to soft funding" ((in 150 reviews)); "management was poor and unorganized" ((in 59 reviews)); "Too spread out and little communication among labs." ((in 20 reviews)); "Low compensation and difficult to get raises" ((in 20 reviews))

What are employees saying about Boston University layoffs in 2026?

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

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Boston University

Boston University reviews

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4.2

81% would recommend to a friend

(3,690 total reviews)

Dr. Melissa L. Gilliam

91% approve of CEO

64% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Diversity & inclusion

4.1

Work/Life balance

4.0

Culture & values

3.8

Career opportunities

3.7

Senior management

3.6

Compensation and benefits

Boston University has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 3,690 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Boston University employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Educación industry (3.7 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

Jan 15, 2009

Yes, BU=BUreaucratic & academia is not lucrative, but the staff has good connections & the work atmosphere is great.

Research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I was very satisfied with the staff; everyone is intelligent, usually coming from Ivy League universities, and principal investigators are well connected.

Cons

Academia just doesn't pay well in general, and BU doesn't have the endowment of some neighboring institutions.

5.0

Dec 16, 2008

BU is a good destination for a postdoc

Graduate student

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Because BU is not Harvard or MIT, it tends to be a little more low key. This is a bit of a double-edged sword. Being a grad student, you definitely sense a bit of the inferiority complex, but at the same time, it's not nearly as cutthroat and allows you a little more freedom to live life outside of the lab. And being in Boston has it's perks both socially and academically. There are great resources in this town and ample opportunity for collaboration. For a postdoc position it would be a good place interact with a vibrant scientific community without a lot of the insane academic rivarly that might come with some other places.

Cons

It's not Harvard or MIT

3.0

Sep 7, 2008

BU is a big, varied place to work. Choose / research the relevant department carefully.

Departmental assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Tuition reimbursement options. Good schedule / time off.

Cons

So decentralized that there are lots of different feels to the various offices; Each person's satisfaction with his/her work depends very much on their immediate manager.

Viewing 3685 - 3687 of 3,690 Reviews

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Jobs at Boston University

SENIOR CONSULTANT, DATA SOLUTIONS, Continuous Improvement & Data Analytics

SENIOR SECURITY ASSISTANT, Office of Housing, Residence Safety

SECURITY ANALYST II, IS&T Information Security

POLICE OFFICER I, BUPD University Police

VETERINARY RESEARCH SUPPORT ASSISTANT, NEIDL, ARS NEIDL Max Containment

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Ratings by category

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Reviews by job title

Yes, BU=BUreaucratic & academia is not lucrative, but the staff has good connections & the work atmosphere is great.

BU is a good destination for a postdoc

BU is a big, varied place to work. Choose / research the relevant department carefully.

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