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Rockefeller University

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Great place to work, very smart scientists, excellent learning environment - Anonymous employee Rockefeller University Employee Review

3.0
Apr 11, 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Great people, very friendly. Beautiful campus environment. The work life balance is wonderful, because it's a university. The reputation is amazing, especially among the rest of the NY institutions.

Cons

Pay was not up to par, especially to be located in NYC. The work in my particular department was repetitive. Not much transparency or room to move upwards.

Explore other reviews about Rockefeller University

5.0
May 29, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Competitive Salary: Pay rates ($24–$25/hr) are above the NYC average for environmental services.Excellent Benefits: Comprehensive health insurance, generous paid time off, and strong retirement matching.Prestigious Institution: Clean, safe, and highly respected Ivy-league level research campus environment.Job Stability: Stable full-time hours with reliable bi-weekly pay schedules and low turnover.Community Respect: Friendly interactions with world-class scientists, researchers, and students.

Cons

igh Cost of Living: Manhattan location means commuting is long and expensive if you cannot afford NYC rent.Physically Demanding: Requires standing, lifting, and repetitive manual labor for the entire 8-hour shift.Strict Lab Standards: Cleaning bio-research labs requires strict adherence to safety protocols and extra caution.Limited Career Growth: Few opportunities to move up into higher-paying administrative roles from cleaning.Weekend/Shift Work: Some roles require early morning, late night, or weekend rotations.

5.0
Nov 29, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Top notch science and people. Labs are well funded. Best salary and benefits you'll ever find as a PhD student (salary/housing, fitness classes, etc). Nice campus, a little oasis in NYC. Lots of independence. A small and friendly community. Culture of work-life balance in many labs.

Cons

Some perks have been cut recently. Lack of name recognition outside biology compared to comparable research institutions like Harvard, Columbia (biologists all know RU is on the same level, but non-biologists don't). We only do biology so there's not as much access to compsci, math, etc.

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