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 509 reviews)); "one of the best places If you like to do research and the campus is beautiful" ((in 346 reviews)); "Great faculty and colleagues and resources" ((in 169 reviews)); "Good work life balance is good" ((in 150 reviews)); "Everyone is appreciative of your work and hours are flexible as long as you do your assigned tasks." ((in 105 reviews))

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

"Low pay and very antiquated." ((in 304 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 59 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 34 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

(5,716 total reviews)

Jonathan Levin

79% approve of CEO

68% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (5,716 reviews)

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 5,716 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 11, 2019

Great benefits; do your due diligence on your direct report

Editor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Intellectually stimulating, good benefits, generous time off, room for growth

Cons

Low pay for Silicon Valley; Stanford has a middle management problem; snob factor; commuting is a pain; living close is impossible.

2.0

Jul 12, 2019

old-fashioned, conservative, and hierarchical. no room for personality here!

Student services coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- pay is pretty good once you've moved up through the ranks - great health insurance options

Cons

- managers are too strict, micromanagey, and inflexible. they treat their employees like children that can't be trusted. - raises are minimal - culture and policies are conservative, old-fashioned, and not progressive, as you would expect from a world-class university - no opportunities for personal development or work-life balance - hours are strictly 8-5 with a 1 hour lunch - no flexibility for long-distance commuters - upper management is dismissive of lower employee's ideas/innovations - bad managers are allowed to continue their reign of terror - HR is not there to protect or help you - they only care about upper management

2.0

Jun 20, 2019

Stanford has work-environment challenges...

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Very collaborative environment and great employee benefits.

Cons

Senior managers should not show favoritism and protect other managers who do not do their work for 3 years. Internal controls are inadequate and lack of communication and supportive partnerships by procurement and payment services within campus community. Retaliation and isolationism is allowed and supported within Financial Management Services (FMS). Always watch your back when working at Stanford!

Viewing 76 - 78 of 5,716 Reviews

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