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 (345) , Research Assistant (345) , PhD Student (163) , Graduate Research Assistant (157) , Postdoctoral Scholar (134) , Graduate Student (131) , Postdoctoral Researcher (99) , PhD Graduate Student (78) , 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 485 reviews)); "one of the best places If you like to do research and the campus is beautiful" ((in 339 reviews)); "Great faculty and colleagues and resources" ((in 172 reviews)); "Good work life balance is good" ((in 148 reviews)); "Everyone is appreciative of your work and hours are flexible as long as you do your assigned tasks." ((in 110 reviews))

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

"Low pay and very antiquated." ((in 295 reviews)); "Low salary because of the way the fellowship works; can only work domestically not internationally" ((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 47 reviews)); "poor work organization and leadership" ((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.

Skip to content Skip to footer

Notifications

Stanford University

Stanford University reviews

4.3

83% would recommend to a friend

(5,704 total reviews)

Jonathan Levin

80% approve of CEO

69% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.2

Diversity & inclusion

4.1

Culture & values

4.0

Career opportunities

3.9

Work/Life balance

3.7

Senior management

3.6

Compensation and benefits

Stanford University has an employee rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars, based on 5,704 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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

6K reviews

4.0

May 29, 2009

Strong benefits, salaries good but not great - Works well for people on second careers

Associate director

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

tuition benefit after 5 years is unique in the portfolio of benefits; there is a great deal of support for continued educational development and health and fitness; The intellectual interchange possible on the job and during non-work time keeps one's mind sharp.

Cons

The university is very hierarchical and political in structure; programs and processes are often based upon what's always been done versus what should be done; change is slow to come in some organizations; many of the administrative staff are not best skilled resources due to preference given to internal candidates for openings whether the candidate is strongest resource or not

4.0

May 14, 2009

Great institution.

Research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The people you meet and work with at this interaction are amazing. Brilliant, fun, hard working.

Cons

Some people do not maintain work-life balance, and burn out working too hard at Stanford. The trick is to define one's own routine, do good work, and take time off.

5.0

Apr 29, 2009

Stanford University - looks great on the CV

Research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Career advancement beyond Stanford, in my position career advancement would require graduate training (which I intend to complete following this position). Benefits, support, and training opportunities within the school are better than anywhere I know of. The access, should you have the time, to other opportunities and researchers is great. It will look great on a CV and there is certainly, at least where I work, a strong emphasis on work-life balance and health. There can be a competitive atmosphere which can be a positive or negative thing depending on your position. There is a wide array of experiences within the school, so this may not be representative of everyone's experiences.

Cons

There are very few downsides, in my experience and view, of working at Stanford. The downside, were I looking to make this a long term position or career, would be a difficulty in advancement and compensation. I passed up opportunities for higher pay for the position at here, however the trade off was for better experience and a stronger CV. Advancement seems tenuous as there is a lot of competition for most jobs, or at least it seems that way. Pay advancement (although the economic climate makes that difficult most places) and increase in position title just doesn't seem like something I would accomplish very easily.

Viewing 5656 - 5658 of 5,704 Reviews

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

UC San Diego

3.6★Compensation & Benefits

Texila American University

3.8★Compensation & Benefits

Jobs at Stanford University

Research Finance Specialist (Remote Opportunity)

Neuroimaging Research Assistant

Sr. Marketing Program Manager

Stanford University reviews FAQs

Reviews Stanford University reviews

Stanford University

Stanford University reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Strong benefits, salaries good but not great - Works well for people on second careers

Great institution.

Stanford University - looks great on the CV

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at Stanford University

Stanford University reviews FAQs

Want the inside scoop on your own company?

Bowls

Followed companies

Job searches

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Stanford University reviews FAQs

Jobs at Stanford University