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 756 reviews)); "There has been some really great people that have worked in Durham but many have left." ((in 514 reviews)); "Pay was good and the year end bonus was nice." ((in 328 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 279 reviews))

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

"Poor management; lack of trust between management and reps" ((in 223 reviews)); "Frequent layoffs and reorgs." ((in 135 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 82 reviews)); "Poor leadership and talent management" ((in 72 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.

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Merck

Merck reviews

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4.1

83% would recommend to a friend

(6,149 total reviews)

Rob Davis

82% approve of CEO

71% 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 6,149 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

1.0

Apr 21, 2018

Great Science and Operations but toxic environment in certain pockets

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Incredible science and clinical operations leadership.

Cons

Standing by leadership known to be a liability to the company with severe department turnover

1.0

Mar 15, 2018

Horrible Place to Work

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The only pro to this job was a 5-day paid shutdown at the end of the year.

Cons

Management was not involved in day-to-day tasks. SOPs were written by inexperienced individuals, without reading SDSs, resulting in emergency room visits. Poor communication was abundant. Leadership truly did not care about employee well-being and work-life balance. Compensation was poor. Extreme lack of professionalism by managers and supervisors. Promotions were given based on personal relationships, not experience and skills.

1.0

Mar 6, 2018

Once a great company

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good strong science. Very ethical company.

Cons

People, and career no longer matter. Now in full survival mode.

Viewing 88 - 90 of 6,149 Reviews

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Scientist, Clinical Operations

Scientist, Clinical Operations

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Senior Scientist, Chemistry

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Great Science and Operations but toxic environment in certain pockets

Horrible Place to Work

Once a great company

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