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?

82% 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 3.9 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Stanford University?

Postdoctoral Fellow (348) , Research Assistant (347) , PhD Student (166) , Graduate Research Assistant (157) , Postdoctoral Scholar (135) , Graduate Student (132) , Postdoctoral Researcher (100) , 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 492 reviews)); "one of the best places If you like to do research and the campus is beautiful" ((in 362 reviews)); "Great faculty and colleagues and resources" ((in 170 reviews)); "Good work life balance is good" ((in 142 reviews)); "Everyone is appreciative of your work and hours are flexible as long as you do your assigned tasks." ((in 112 reviews))

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

"Low salary because of the way the fellowship works; can only work domestically not internationally" ((in 305 reviews)); "Low pay and very antiquated." ((in 305 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 47 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

82% would recommend to a friend

(5,725 total reviews)

Jonathan Levin

77% 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 5,725 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

5.0

Aug 26, 2010

Work hard and be smart. Avoid administration

Professor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Be sure to get into the tenure line. I was offered visiting professor first, but refused. Do what you are best in, not what others tell you to do.

Cons

Some staff stick around too long because it is such a nice place. But unless they take on new challenges they will be bypassed.

3.0

Aug 26, 2010

Relies too much on prestige and name

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Stanford is an exceptional university where you have access to an excellent network and a truly high caliber student body.

Cons

In general Stanford underpays its entry level workers which leads to great turnover at these positions. The school relies on its prestige and name to draw in talent, but does very little to reward or advance that talent.

4.0

Aug 20, 2010

great place for student jobs

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Hours were flexible, work is fun, the group of people are awesome. The social activities outside work were the best part of the job.

Cons

Bosses can be overly strict, sometimes the schedule can be difficult to work with, pay is pretty low for the amount of work.

Viewing 5605 - 5607 of 5,725 Reviews

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Jobs at Stanford University

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