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 (51) , 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 709 reviews)); "There has been some really great people that have worked in Durham but many have left." ((in 519 reviews)); "Pay was good and the year end bonus was nice." ((in 338 reviews)); "Working in maintenance the work can have pressure at times but overall has a good work/life balance." ((in 326 reviews)); "The culture was great and very inclusive" ((in 284 reviews))

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

"Poor management; lack of trust between management and reps" ((in 221 reviews)); "Frequent layoffs and reorgs." ((in 144 reviews)); "Merck discovered this ticket and Manager Y and his/her boss called to discuss with me." ((in 114 reviews)); "upper management seems confused; jobs get eliinated" ((in 85 reviews)); "poor leadership and too much micromanagement" ((in 77 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

(6,151 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 6,151 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

Nov 19, 2021

Don’t work here unless you’re a giant hoe

Production associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

There are no pros to working for this company unless you are in their inner circle

Cons

The assistant directors are sleeping with and living with their direct reports, so those people get the best bonus, their family members get hired even though they are not qualified, they get promoted to positions they are not qualified for. If you are not part of that inner circle it doesn’t matter how hard you work, you get treated like dirt and never get promoted.

2.0

Aug 17, 2021

Toxicity and nepotism

Associate principal scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

There is essentially no limit to company spending to achieve a scientific goal.

Cons

Fighting is encouraged as a way to drive productivity. Nepotism is rampant, 1/2 of the promotions are based on who golfs with the boss.

1.0

Mar 23, 2021

Real talk

Biotechnician

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

There are no pros to working here.

Cons

Everything about this place is a con.

Viewing 139 - 141 of 6,151 Reviews

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