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 122 reviews)); "Good benefits and retirement savings package" ((in 100 reviews)); "The people: My colleagues and my group are great people." ((in 35 reviews)); "Work life balance is good" ((in 25 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 86 reviews)); "Same as all grad student research positions… low pay" ((in 62 reviews)); "Limited parking spots are available on site." ((in 37 reviews)); "Poor management and often" ((in 23 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

Jul 13, 2012

Working @ LBL

Research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Very nice location: full of nature and it's just behind a quiet Berkeley residence area (north side of the campus). Frequent shuttle service so you don't need a car if you live in Berkeley area or don't mind commuting. Reasonably good pay as it is a national lab. Great machine/electronic shops with skilled engineers. Full of options to search for spare parts or NIM modules!

Cons

If you drive a car to your work, getting a parking space is a pain. You must come very early in the morning, and you cannot leave in mid-day because someone will take your spot...

1.0

Jun 25, 2012

Toxic

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits, support the advancement of science and the people working to solve the problems of the world

Cons

The science may be cutting edge, but the operations is back in the 70's. Fiefdoms are everywhere including HR. Some senior managers rule by fear and spying. Whatever you do, don't ask questions. People who thrive here will stay for 30 years (or already have).

3.0

Jun 12, 2012

Not bad, but your PI can make it or break it for you

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good science and generally good people. Plenty of opportunity to collaborate, and future job ops will be good when people hear where you worked.

Cons

A bit out of the way but I actually liked that. There will always be a few lab heads that think they are better than everyone and make a postdoc's life hell. I guess that comes with the career I've chosen

Viewing 1033 - 1035 of 1,076 Reviews

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Jobs at Lawrence Berkeley Lab

Custodian (Floor Crew)

Communications Technician