Does MIT pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, MIT employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.8 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at MIT. This rating has improved by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at MIT?

85% of MIT employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated MIT 3.8 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.2 for culture and values and 4.2 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at MIT?

Research Assistant (306) , Graduate Research Assistant (221) , Postdoctoral Associate (216) , Postdoctoral Research Associate (138) , Graduate Student (127) , Postdoctoral Fellow (117) , PhD Student (115) , Research Scientist (98) , Researcher (81) , Undergraduate Researcher (81) , Graduate Student Researcher (65) , Administrative Assistant (62) , PhD Graduate Student (58) , Research Associate (58) , Undergraduate Research Assistant (56)

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

"2. Great People: It can be great to collaborate with some of the smartest minds in the world" ((in 411 reviews)); "Benefits are great and the Credit union is fantastic." ((in 340 reviews)); "MIT offers great opportunities for their students to gain research and work experience." ((in 85 reviews)); "Good culture and can be improved" ((in 68 reviews)); "Good work life balance it is good" ((in 65 reviews))

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

"low pay and difficult to find affordable housing in the area" ((in 207 reviews)); "Low salary and very competitive" ((in 192 reviews)); "Long hours during certain points of position but all was worth the time put in." ((in 65 reviews)); "Management is poor" ((in 38 reviews)); "Annoying HR and pushy supervisor." ((in 19 reviews))

What are employees saying about MIT layoffs in 2026?

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

MIT reviews

4.4

85% would recommend to a friend

(4,258 total reviews)

Sally Kornbluth

90% approve of CEO

75% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.3

Diversity & inclusion

4.2

Culture & values

4.2

Career opportunities

3.8

Work/Life balance

3.8

Senior management

3.8

Compensation and benefits

MIT has an employee rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars, based on 4,258 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The MIT 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

3.0

May 4, 2012

Know What You're Getting Into

Graduate student researcher

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- Working for and alongside very intelligent, capable, and motivated individuals - Pervasive "can-do" attitude - Getting to work on projects of great significance - Being well-connected with collaborators (and future employers) at other top institutions - Quirky/nerd culture (e.g. yearly sci-fi marathon)

Cons

- Overbearing expectations; in the anarchy of academia, there is no such thing as having done "enough", even more so at prestigious institution like MIT - Lousy work-life balance -- creeping guilt whenever you're not working - Dearth of graduate student community/socialization - Campus and surrounding areas not aesthetically pleasing, exacerbated by frequently gloomy weather - Culture of misery (related to all of the above)

5.0

Apr 27, 2012

Great place for graduate school, but you really need to have a self-defined focus.

Graduate student

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

There are many young scientists for graduate students to look up to; collaboration is encouraged; work-life-balance is definitely possible if you make the effort.

Cons

It seems that, with waning student acceptance rates, students are accepted who don't fit the description of the desired graduate student by scientists needing to expand their labs/research teams. This can be a great opportunity for some, but potentially a very non-ideal career move for others.

4.0

Mar 25, 2012

Wonderful place to obtain academic work experience.

Financial administrator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

You can gain great academic exposure at MIT. There is room for growth and learning both through work experience and courses offered by the university. You can benefit from the tuition reimbursement program, where you can pursue a master's degree at night or a second degree.

Cons

Movement up the career ladder is challenging. There is not established career path for administrative staff. Many staffers stay a long time in their career and can block movement into selected roles. Also due to the lack of a career path/plan I have seen many good staffers get passed over with hiring managers selecting friends or people they have known in other roles.

Viewing 322 - 324 of 4,258 Reviews

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MIT reviews

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Know What You're Getting Into

Great place for graduate school, but you really need to have a self-defined focus.

Wonderful place to obtain academic work experience.

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