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

2.0

Mar 13, 2012

Very sterile work environment

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It's the government. It has a lot of money. It also offers a free shuttle system around Berkeley during the week.

Cons

It's the government. People there are not willing to help you and there is a lot of red tape. You have to go off-site to get a lunch, unless you want to risk the cafeteria.

1.0

Nov 9, 2011

LBNL Scientific wellfare program

Staff scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good UC benefits which are about to be cut. Complete freedom to do what you want without fear of management interference. Some scientists are first rate.

Cons

No chance for promotion or recognition. Laboratory fails to review employee performance despite DOE contract responsibility to do so. Plenty of deadwood. Arrogance of senior staff is oppressive. Lab likely to be closed in the future and turned over to UC Berkeley.

3.0

Sep 13, 2011

Politics and Bureaucracy

Operations

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Fascinating Science that is not done the same way at any other lab Good People - Great co workers Best place on earth for researchers, not so much for operations

Cons

Politics and Bureaucracy As almost all management come from within the Academic or University system, the Consensus driven approach to each and every challenge is mind numbing. Getting anyone to make a decision and put their foot down as " This is the way we must proceed to be successful" is impossible. Everything must be discussed until there is no energy left to "do"

Viewing 157 - 159 of 1,077 Reviews

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Jobs at Lawrence Berkeley Lab

Custodian (Floor Crew)