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 118 reviews)); "Good benefits and the lab is shut down the last week of the year." ((in 97 reviews)); "The people: My colleagues and my group are great people." ((in 32 reviews)); "Good work environment" ((in 26 reviews)); "LBL has a great environment for learning and sharing knowledge." ((in 23 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 87 reviews)); "Same as all grad student research positions… low pay" ((in 64 reviews)); "Limited parking spots are available on site." ((in 33 reviews)); "Poor management and often" ((in 23 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

5.0

Feb 13, 2012

Great Place with Awesome Collaborative Spirit

Postdoctoral fellow

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Top notch research equipment and scientific goals.

Cons

More of a con regarding the entire concept of temporary postdoctoral fellowship employment. There should be more of a focus on recruiting into career track positions. This is a problem with academics in general, and on the whole LBNL does a great job making the postdoctoral experience rewarding, despite the transient character.

4.0

Feb 4, 2012

Excellent experience, but less challenging than I would have liked

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Smart people, good work life balance.

Cons

Work not always challenging enough. Sometimes, left idle.

4.0

Nov 9, 2011

Academic setting meets government regulation

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Berkeley lab has world class researchers but pays less than other national labs in the area. They say the view makes up for this...

Cons

Lower pay. Aging facilities. Difficult parking. Funding never a sure thing.

Viewing 1042 - 1044 of 1,077 Reviews

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Jobs at Lawrence Berkeley Lab

Part Time, Program Manager for Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments