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

Oct 3, 2013

Merck truly was a great company till about 10-12 years ago.

Associate principal scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

excellent coworkers in MRL, very intelligent, motivated, experienced, etc.

Cons

the ten year downward spiral is accelerating out of control, bench scientists have little confidence in senior management from VP on up, advice and guidance even from high level bench scientists with many years service invariably hits a brick wall. Moral is abysmal. Sounds bitter, but sadly is the truth. Incredible talent, intelligence and experience is being utterly wasted.

2.0

Sep 16, 2013

A company that has potential but is facing difficult challenges

Director

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Flexibility Ability to be creative Strong reputation for good science

Cons

Contracting company Few opportunities to move up

1.0

Sep 4, 2013

Could be "Good to Great" again, only if...

Manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Pay, Medical Benefits, Ability to atract talent based on the past, big pharma experience nice to have in your resume.

Cons

Sr. Management lacking vision, simplicity, or clarity to communicate. Millions paid to external consultants to generate solutions. Excessive tolerance for poor performance at the Plain/Executive Director level causes stress across multiple levels. Formerly ran by scientists who cared about technology, deep scientific understanding, and a genuine commitment to getting medicine to patients, now in the hands of money minded people who only care about systematically destroying a legacy of scientific excellence. Lost scientific and technology direction. Not the place for academic excellence or intellectual curiosity.

Viewing 226 - 228 of 6,155 Reviews

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

MSD

4.1★Compensation & Benefits

Sandoz

3.9★Compensation & Benefits

Grunenthal

4.3★Compensation & Benefits

Jobs at Merck

Associate Technician, Operations

Customer Service Representative

Technician, Operations

Associate Technician, Operations

Merck

Merck reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Merck truly was a great company till about 10-12 years ago.

A company that has potential but is facing difficult challenges

Could be "Good to Great" again, only if...

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

Merck reviews FAQs

Jobs at Merck