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

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

Feb 27, 2011

In general, Berkeley Lab is coasting off its reputation and historical success...an emphasis on pecking order.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great reputation and exposure to some cutting edge science. Informal work environment and great view from atop the bay area.

Cons

No leadership, poor communication, strong sense of pecking order, poor collaboration, no commitment to innovation process, management is lacking or non-existent, facility is outdated, lack of resources.

2.0

Dec 19, 2010

Interesting Science goes on

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The benefits such as a pension retirement, health care and number of holidays are great. I get to work with some great scientists and feel like what I do contributes to scientific advances.

Cons

There is a complete lack of respect from the scientific community for support staff. This attitude flows down from senior staff. If you aren't a scientist, pay and promotions are seriously limited. There is a serious lack of parking and parking based on salary level and job position so very limited for staff. There are no promotion opportunities and no defined career path for non scientific staff. There are no flexible work schedules and senior management has recognized that everyone on salary is expected to work extra hours.

4.0

Sep 7, 2010

A good place to do basic science research

Postdoctoral

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good work life balance Good and smart people Beautiful views Lots of different projects available to work on Good collaboration between different groups

Cons

A lot of hoops to jump through when trying to start a new experiment with safety Sometimes things go really slow due to the bureaucracy involved Pay is not in line with other national labs such as LLNL or Sandia

Viewing 160 - 162 of 1,077 Reviews

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Jobs at Lawrence Berkeley Lab

Custodian (Floor Crew)