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 498 reviews)); "one of the best places If you like to do research and the campus is beautiful" ((in 336 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 113 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 304 reviews)); "Low pay and very antiquated." ((in 293 reviews)); "Poor management; Discouraging and had unreasonable expectations as working from home began due to covid" ((in 63 reviews)); "Managers don't hold themselves accountable and you wonder what they do all day." ((in 45 reviews)); "Very low compensation and no bonuses compared to the rest of the Bay Area." ((in 29 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

(5,717 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 5,717 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

4.0

Sep 1, 2010

Finding time to take advantage of the great benefits is my personal challenge.

Five year staff employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

There are many generations of students, faculty, and staff employees working on a beautiful campus. I like learning from others as we behind the scenes support our students and faculty, mission and longer term goals. It's a complex environment where no two days are the same. Leadership comes in many styles. Across the board, the successful people know how to build and sustain relationships.

Cons

Your personal philosophies about working from anywhere, commuting, sharing information, etc. must map well to your team/division. Understanding and appreciating work in a decentralized environment takes time.

5.0

Aug 31, 2010

Share enthusiasm for Hum Bio

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Fun, exciting, ability for leadership, great planning opportunities

Cons

Compensation is not as great as other staffing jobs

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.

Viewing 5629 - 5631 of 5,717 Reviews

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