Does Stanford University pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Stanford University employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.6 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Stanford University. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Stanford University?

83% of Stanford University employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Stanford University 3.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.1 for culture and values and 4.0 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Stanford University?

Postdoctoral Fellow (347) , Research Assistant (346) , PhD Student (165) , Graduate Research Assistant (157) , Postdoctoral Scholar (135) , Graduate Student (132) , Postdoctoral Researcher (99) , PhD Graduate Student (79) , Research Scientist (76) , Teaching Assistant (60) , Research Associate (56) , Postdoctoral Research Fellow (54) , Researcher (54) , Clinical Research Coordinator (52) , Administrative Assistant (47)

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

"people were great and nice to work with" ((in 496 reviews)); "one of the best places If you like to do research and the campus is beautiful" ((in 338 reviews)); "Great faculty and colleagues and resources" ((in 167 reviews)); "Good work life balance is good" ((in 146 reviews)); "Everyone is appreciative of your work and hours are flexible as long as you do your assigned tasks." ((in 107 reviews))

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

"Low pay and very antiquated." ((in 305 reviews)); "Low salary because of the way the fellowship works; can only work domestically not internationally" ((in 303 reviews)); "Poor management; Discouraging and had unreasonable expectations as working from home began due to covid" ((in 65 reviews)); "Managers don't hold themselves accountable and you wonder what they do all day." ((in 46 reviews)); "poor work organization and leadership" ((in 28 reviews))

What are employees saying about Stanford University layoffs in 2026?

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

Stanford University reviews

4.3

83% would recommend to a friend

(5,715 total reviews)

Jonathan Levin

79% approve of CEO

68% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Stanford University has an employee rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars, based on 5,715 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Stanford University employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Educación industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

6K reviews

1.0

Oct 6, 2013

whish i am out of here

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

great location, lot of sport activities

Cons

despotism, ethnocentrism, bureacracy, bullying, no career advancement

2.0

Apr 8, 2011

Nepotism, Promotes incompetence

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good benefits Flexible hours Great campus - lot of energy on the campus Good work-life balance As a staff member, you can attend events, classes on campus

Cons

Nepotism is rampant, not only at the Libraries but in most Staff jobs Surprisingly, technically inept Very strong pattern of intolerance of competence

3.0

Mar 16, 2023

Stanford is an amazing place - Undergraduate Admission is not

Admissions counselor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Stanford's name carries a lot of weight and it is a beautiful place to work

Cons

The Office of Undergraduate Admission does not value lower level employees. The pay for those roles are at or near poverty level for the Bay Area. Being one of the wealthiest institutions in the world with a record return on their endowment - plus being an office that brings in hundreds of millions in tuition revenue, it is unacceptable. Leadership views the lower level roles as revolving door positions - this isn't because of the employees. The office turn over is high and the workload is unrealistic. I am glad that I left admission over the summer, but sad that I left Stanford - a place I truly love.

Viewing 43 - 45 of 5,715 Reviews

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