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) , Associate Principal Scientist (92) , Senior Specialist (92) , 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 751 reviews)); "There has been some really great people that have worked in Durham but many have left." ((in 511 reviews)); "Pay was good and the year end bonus was nice." ((in 336 reviews)); "Working in maintenance the work can have pressure at times but overall has a good work/life balance." ((in 333 reviews)); "The culture was great and very inclusive" ((in 282 reviews))

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

"Poor management; lack of trust between management and reps" ((in 220 reviews)); "Frequent layoffs and reorgs." ((in 140 reviews)); "Merck discovered this ticket and Manager Y and his/her boss called to discuss with me." ((in 112 reviews)); "upper management seems confused; jobs get eliinated" ((in 82 reviews)); "Poor leadership and talent management" ((in 70 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.

Merck reviews

4.1

83% would recommend to a friend

(6,155 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 6,155 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, 2014

Merck used to be a great company

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

For the most part, the people you work with in the trenches are great. Benefits decent, but little reward or recognition.

Cons

Management is spread too thin and does not see what really happens. Company getting very cheap and sneaky with changing policies and benefits. If you aren't a "golden child", you are not going to advance anywhere.

3.0

Apr 22, 2014

Not the science-based company it used to be.

Associate principal scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Decent pay, good colleagues. At the working level, there can be some really good collaborations and people who take pride in their work.

Cons

Management no longer seems to know what they're doing and changes the game plan from year to year. Stress level can be very high and the layoffs and turnover do not help. Merck used to hold itself to a higher standard than the rest of the industry and was proud to pay at the 75th percentile on average and a few years ago shifted down to the 50th--a clear signal they're no longer holding that standard. They maintain during the year-end reviews they "pay for performance", so if they are now paying average instead of above average, what does that say?

1.0

Mar 6, 2014

Once proud now the worst company to work for.

Complaint specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

When I was in high school there was no other pharmaceutical company, Merck shined so much brighter than the rest. Now I can't think of one positive thing to write about it.

Cons

Everything. State your opinion and get punished. Do what they ask you to do and move to a different department and they punish you for not learning fast enough. Don't work 80 hr work weeks and they punish you for not being more of a leader. There is no moral any longer. Everyone there is demoralized and defeated.

Viewing 217 - 219 of 6,155 Reviews

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Jobs at Merck

Associate Technician, Operations

Specialist - Assets & Rights Management

Technician, Operations

Customer Service Representative

Merck

Merck reviews

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Merck used to be a great company

Not the science-based company it used to be.

Once proud now the worst company to work for.

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