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 126 reviews)); "Good benefits and the lab is shut down the last week of the year." ((in 91 reviews)); "The people: My colleagues and my group are great people." ((in 32 reviews)); "Good work environment" ((in 31 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?

"salary is low for the cost of living in the Bay Area and in comparison to other national labs" ((in 81 reviews)); "Same as all grad student research positions… low pay" ((in 56 reviews)); "Limited parking spots are available on site." ((in 36 reviews)); "Poor management and often" ((in 25 reviews)); "pay is less competitive in Bay area" ((in 8 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

86% 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

4.0

Jan 2, 2014

Highly competitive and world-class research center

Postdoctoral fellow

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

state-of-the-art facility together with the most brilliant scientists in the world

Cons

Very competitive, and no chance for postdoc to apply funding as PIs

5.0

Dec 24, 2013

Student researcher at LBL

Student research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

resources of government lab without as strict of regulations. Very accommodating to student schedules. Opens up a whole new network of connections unavailable at Berkeley. Easy access from campus

Cons

It is still a national lab with plenty of regulations and bureaucracy (excessive and frequent training courses is just 1 example).

2.0

Dec 16, 2013

Not So great...bureaucratic

Research associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

good work life balance, smart people(depends on the team)

Cons

NEPOTISM, promotion based on number of years rather than quality of work...

Viewing 982 - 984 of 1,077 Reviews

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Jobs at Lawrence Berkeley Lab

Custodian (Floor Crew)