Does UCLA pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, UCLA employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.6 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at UCLA. This rating has decreased by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at UCLA?

76% of UCLA employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated UCLA 4.0 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.9 for culture and values and 3.8 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at UCLA?

Research Assistant (202) , Teaching Assistant (170) , Graduate Student Researcher (164) , Administrative Assistant (120) , Postdoctoral Fellow (113) , Graduate Student (103) , Graduate Research Assistant (88) , Graduate Teaching Assistant (86) , PhD Student (67) , Postdoctoral Scholar (67) , Postdoctoral Researcher (65) , Student Worker (63) , Student Assistant (58) , Registered Nurse (56) , Researcher (55)

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

"Benefits are great and class material is interesting." ((in 520 reviews)); "The people I worked with were great and that was one of the best reasons I enjoyed my work experience at ucla." ((in 290 reviews)); "The campus is beautiful and it is a dream place to work if you like research in social sciences." ((in 226 reviews)); "Hours are flexible and easily available with overtime pay for holidays and late night shifts." ((in 215 reviews)); "It's close to campus and staff is great" ((in 118 reviews))

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

"Low pay and if you don’t publish you can really hurt your chances of getting a job after." ((in 327 reviews)); "half time only means low salary but that's on par for the course for grad students" ((in 233 reviews)); "Management was poor and slow to get back to you." ((in 113 reviews)); "parking is expensive and not always convenient to where you work." ((in 101 reviews)); "Many hourly staff leave the department or UCLA as a whole due to poor management and leadership." ((in 37 reviews))

What are employees saying about UCLA layoffs in 2026?

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

UCLA reviews

Compare reviews

4.1

76% would recommend to a friend

(5,738 total reviews)

Gene D. Block

70% approve of CEO

61% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.2

Diversity & inclusion

4.0

Work/Life balance

3.9

Culture & values

3.8

Career opportunities

3.6

Senior management

3.6

Compensation and benefits

UCLA has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 5,738 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The UCLA 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

2.0

Apr 18, 2024

It's fine

Project engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

great benefits and great pay

Cons

lots of politics, some management not qualified

2.0

Mar 20, 2024

2024 Leaving UCLA to work at UCI. UCLA Pay is a pittance.

Systems administrator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- UC-wide benefits great if you have family. - Job title was union represented (which looks like the campus is trying to move people away from). - Work-life balance (but this has noticably declined with increased workloads and staffing levels)

Cons

For a university in such a busy urban metropolis. They pay as if you were a university in a rural town while still expecting everyone to make the hour plus long commute onto campus, Parking is also paid out of your own pocket. So you are required spend a chunk of your fuel, time, and money just getting to & from work while not being paid enough to afford rent decently within the vicinity. Many people are SPOOKED with the new IT restructuring and if they will have jobs in the next year or two. There is an unspoken "downsizing" that is happening the administration won't admit. Employees are being asked to reapply for their jobs but it is being reframed as an "opportunity" for growth for everyone. Simple yes or no questions are side-stepped with "We will support our staff with the transition". That in itself is quite the clear answer on how they intend to treat staff.

2.0

Dec 13, 2023

Stressful place to work

Communications manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits, pay, job security

Cons

Very intense work environment. People not particularly friendly.

Viewing 25 - 27 of 5,738 Reviews

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UCLA

UCLA reviews

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It's fine

2024 Leaving UCLA to work at UCI. UCLA Pay is a pittance.

Stressful place to work

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