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      MIT Lincoln Laboratory

      Part of MIT

      Engaged employer

      MIT Lincoln Laboratory reviews

      Great place if you work for the right department - Software Engineer MIT Lincoln Laboratory Employee Review

      3.0
      Jul 11, 2014
      Software engineer
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      There are many experts in their field who work here, so there are a lot of in-house resources to utilize. There is always something new to learn. Flexible working schedules are great. Good benefits.

      Cons

      Pay scale is seriously out of sync for a lot of jobs. Management is almost always promoted from the ranks within, so that tends to put people who are very intelligent in their field into a management position that many are not equipped for. Promotions are hard to come by, as well.

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      MIT Lincoln Laboratory Response
      11y
      We are pleased that you have seen the level expertise that is at the Lab first hand. The constant learning and flexible work environment is something we are proud of. Salary concerns are usually an individual issue. Careful study of our salary structure does not indicate a trend toward being "out of synch". High retention and offer acceptance rates would appear to indicate salary competitiveness. Individual salary concerns can be addressed via a number of channels, including HR. Ongoing training in management topics continues to be a focus. We are admittedly a somewhat flat organization in structure. That can reduce promotions per se but this is offset by exceptional breadth and depth of opportunity. We appreciate your comments.

      Explore other reviews about MIT Lincoln Laboratory

      5.0
      Jun 3, 2026
      Member of technical staff
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      It can vary a lot from group to group, but in general, wonderful place with wonderful people and lots of interesting work going on. Excellent benefits and lots of flexibility to explore different projects.

      Cons

      Little opportunity for advancement in terms of rank and compensation once you reach technical staff. Additionally (again varies from group to group) expectations of what a staff member does can be unclear and there can be a light sink-or-swim nature to the work, again depending on the group you're in.

      4.0
      Jun 17, 2026
      Member of technical staff
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Worked with some of the smartest people I’ve ever known. Great opportunities to learn from your coworkers and an atmosphere that encourages learning, including a well-run technical education program. Fabulous support staff and technicians that can get seemingly impossible things done quickly. Great resources and lab spaces (if a bit dated). The nature of the work encourages good work/life balance. Fantastic benefits (though the pay is low).

      Cons

      No/limited opportunities for advancement makes this a hard place to work mid-career. Good engineers are promoted to be mediocre managers. Every program is under-funded, under-staffed, and over schedule. Bad managers are shuffled around but rarely fired.

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