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 (133) , 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 123 reviews)); "Great benefits and retirement fund" ((in 102 reviews)); "The people: My colleagues and my group are great people." ((in 34 reviews)); "Great work environment and colleagues" ((in 26 reviews)); "Great location and nice coworkers." ((in 24 reviews))

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

"salary is low for the cost of living in the Bay Area and in comparison to other national labs" ((in 88 reviews)); "Same as all grad student research positions… low pay" ((in 63 reviews)); "Limited parking spots are available on site." ((in 38 reviews)); "Poor management and often" ((in 21 reviews)); "Poor leadership and oversight" ((in 7 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

(1,077 total reviews)

Michael Witherell

87% approve of CEO

76% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (1,077 reviews)

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 1,077 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

3.0

Sep 20, 2014

Experience can very a lot depending upon your "credentials"

Staff scientest

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Often many smart people and continuous access to smart UC Berkeley students that flow through. Opportunity to do interesting, impactful and sometimes important work. Opportunities for building professional contacts and reputation. Relaxed environment and great setting.

Cons

Highly political (but where not?), many egos to deal with, little close parking, old buildings, many staff who did great work once but do little but collect $ now.

2.0

Sep 16, 2014

Amazing science...at a price.

Communications

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Smart people. Grand vision. Exciting research and diverse facilities. Great views.

Cons

Huge egos abound. Political winds blow its mission around. No parking or good eating options outside of expensive (and declining) cafeterias. Extremely high cost of living and somewhat suffocating Berkeley environment.

2.0

Sep 16, 2014

High pressure, low pay, terrible place to work for engineers

Scientific engineering associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I like the location and views from LBL. I also appreciate how they promote alternative transportation and have a general altruistic mission. There are many academic seminars and forward thinking research projects happening on campus, both at LBL and UC Berkeley.

Cons

Working at LBL is what I think it might be like to work at a nonprofit: high pressure, low pay, underappreciated. At first I was ok with it, because I thought the goal was admirable and worthwhile. However, over time I realize that there is a hierarchy here. Too many project managers, not enough engineers on a project. EETD does not value engineers. The department treats engineers like technicians, and only values program managers.

Viewing 931 - 933 of 1,077 Reviews

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Jobs at Lawrence Berkeley Lab

Custodian (Floor Crew)