Does Merck pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Merck employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.1 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Merck. This rating has decreased by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Merck?

83% of Merck employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Merck 3.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.9 for culture and values and 3.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Merck?

Associate Director (234) , Director (190) , Intern (171) , Senior Scientist (163) , Sales Representative (117) , Scientist (94) , Senior Specialist (92) , Associate Principal Scientist (91) , Project Manager (88) , Manager (86) , Pharmaceuticals Sales Representative (59) , Associate Specialist (58) , Specialist (55) , Operations Manager (50) , Internship (49)

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

"Benefits are good (middle of road for pharma) Great when compared to other industries" ((in 753 reviews)); "There has been some really great people that have worked in Durham but many have left." ((in 512 reviews)); "Pay was good and the year end bonus was nice." ((in 343 reviews)); "Working in maintenance the work can have pressure at times but overall has a good work/life balance." ((in 321 reviews)); "The culture was great and very inclusive" ((in 295 reviews))

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

"Poor management; lack of trust between management and reps" ((in 228 reviews)); "Frequent layoffs and reorgs." ((in 146 reviews)); "Merck discovered this ticket and Manager Y and his/her boss called to discuss with me." ((in 108 reviews)); "upper management seems confused; jobs get eliinated" ((in 83 reviews)); "Poor leadership and talent management" ((in 73 reviews))

What are employees saying about Merck layoffs in 2026?

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

Skip to content Skip to footer

Notifications

Merck

Merck reviews

4.1

83% would recommend to a friend

(6,148 total reviews)

Rob Davis

82% approve of CEO

70% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Diversity & inclusion

4.1

Compensation and benefits

3.9

Culture & values

3.9

Work/Life balance

3.7

Career opportunities

3.5

Senior management

Merck has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 6,148 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Merck employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Farmacéutica y biotecnología industry (3.5 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

6K reviews

2.0

Apr 22, 2017

Do whatever it takes - even if it means destroying people

Scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Decent benefits, reputable company, good location

Cons

Cutthroat culture, severe micromanagement, outdated IT infrastructure

2.0

Apr 2, 2017

No longer committed to science

Senior research scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good benefits since it's a large company and pay is descent. That's about it.

Cons

I worked here before I got my Ph.D. and really loved the company. They were dedicated to science and doing things right. Then I went to get my Ph.D. in chemistry and came back to work for them. It was all changed. Now it was all about outsourcing and bringing value to the stock holders and typical b.s. they feed you at big companies. Management was reorganizing every 6 months. It was a disaster and no one really cared about science anymore. It's sad cause Merck was a great company that really tried to solve health problems. No longer the case.

4.0

Dec 28, 2016

A company with brillant history

Senior scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It is a company with brilliant history. It has a lots of excellent scientists and staffs. Employees got good benefits and chances to grow.

Cons

The frequent company restructurings made it lost its productivity and employees' job securities, hurt employees' working passion and caused massive waste.

Viewing 52 - 54 of 6,148 Reviews

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

MSD

4.1★Compensation & Benefits

Novartis

4.1★Compensation & Benefits

Johnson & Johnson

4.0★Compensation & Benefits

GSK

3.9★Compensation & Benefits

Jobs at Merck

Scientist, Pharmaceutical Analytical Sciences

Administrative Assistant

Cardiovascular Disease Specialist – Fayetteville, NC

Senior Vaccine Customer Representative - Albany, NY

Senior Vaccine Customer Representative – Hammond, IN

Merck reviews FAQs

Reviews Merck reviews

Merck

Merck reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Do whatever it takes - even if it means destroying people

No longer committed to science

A company with brillant history

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at Merck

Merck reviews FAQs

Want the inside scoop on your own company?

Bowls

Followed companies

Job searches

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at Merck

Merck reviews FAQs