Does Lawrence Berkeley Lab pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Lawrence Berkeley Lab employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.6 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Lawrence Berkeley Lab. This rating has improved by 3% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Lawrence Berkeley Lab?

83% of Lawrence Berkeley Lab employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Lawrence Berkeley Lab 4.3 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.2 for culture and values and 3.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Lawrence Berkeley Lab?

Postdoctoral Fellow (132) , Postdoctoral Researcher (57) , Student Assistant (41) , Research Associate (36) , Research Assistant (34) , Research Scientist (33) , Intern (23) , Postdoctoral Scholar (22) , Project Scientist (21) , Graduate Research Assistant (14) , Scientific Engineering Associate (14) , Postdoctoral Research Associate (13) , Undergraduate Research Assistant (12) , Research Affiliate (11) , Research Intern (11)

What are the pros of working at Lawrence Berkeley Lab according to real employee reviews?

"Great people to work with" ((in 127 reviews)); "Great benefits and ability to obtain a pension after five years of service." ((in 92 reviews)); "The people: My colleagues and my group are great people." ((in 35 reviews)); "Work life balance is good" ((in 26 reviews)); "At least my coworkers were great people" ((in 24 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Lawrence Berkeley Lab according to real employee reviews?

"Postdoc researchers with family might find the salary is low to live in the Bay Area." ((in 88 reviews)); "Same as all grad student research positions… low pay" ((in 57 reviews)); "Limited parking spots are available on site." ((in 36 reviews)); "Poor management and often" ((in 22 reviews)); "Poor leadership and oversight" ((in 6 reviews))

What are employees saying about Lawrence Berkeley Lab layoffs in 2026?

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

Lawrence Berkeley Lab reviews

4.2

83% would recommend to a friend

(1,076 total reviews)

Michael Witherell

86% approve of CEO

76% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Lawrence Berkeley Lab has an employee rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, based on 1,076 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Lawrence Berkeley Lab employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Management et conseil aux entreprises industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

1K reviews

4.0

Dec 3, 2024

Postdoc

Postdoctoral scholar

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits- lots of pto and sick leave

Cons

Salary is low, the lab is more invested in retaining quality senior staff than in promoting and retaining quality postdocs.

2.0

Dec 3, 2024

Not What I Expected

Research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The overall lab is very laid back with a great community and wonderful post-docs to help advise you on the path towards higher education. They will give you the lab experience you're looking for, but be prepared for a very hands-off approach to your learning.

Cons

Highly unstructured and I did not feel personally cared for as an employee. I came in with a very clear message that I was seeking laboratory bench experience, and I definitely got this, but my mentor was not great at explaining the work and only got frustrated with me when I wasn't understanding. I saw other mentors were different, so my case might just be specific, but from what I understand from the other interns coming from the college is that the post doc mentors are very busy and unless you have good chemistry and communication with your mentor, it's going to be you by yourself figuring out your own problems with little help. Don't expect a bachelor's pay even if you got your degree. Prepare to live and breathe your job for little pay because the lab culture expects you to devote your free time to your work. The people who can do this are amazing, but it is very mentally draining to be here. Work-life balance does not exist here.

5.0

Aug 15, 2024

Ancient review, but timeless characteristics of working on the hill (Note year was actually 1977, not 2000)

Temporary staff

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

This is a review from working at LBL in 1977. The walk up the hill was spectacular as was the quiet majesty of doing experimental physics in the trees. The views from LBL going downhill towards the sunest in the evening made the half hour commute walking upward in the morning worthwhile. Folks were wonderful (and probably still are if any of you are still there). And as a bonus, the walk downhill in the evening occasionally traversed the greek theater (except when the Grateful Dead were playing there, in which case the Grateful Dead security politely and somewhat menacingly instructed me that I would need to go around the theater).

Cons

Salary was insufficient to afford breakfast at Chez Panisse, but this wasn't much of a problem because Chez Panisse wasn't open for breakfast.

Viewing 67 - 69 of 1,076 Reviews

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Jobs at Lawrence Berkeley Lab

Custodian (Floor Crew)

Communications Technician