Does NIH pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, NIH employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.0 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at NIH. This rating has decreased by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at NIH?

80% of NIH employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated NIH 4.1 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.2 for culture and values and 3.9 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at NIH?

Postdoctoral Fellow (298) , Research Fellow (124) , Postbaccalaureate IRTA (103) , Staff Scientist (63) , Postdoctoral Research Fellow (40) , Intern (38) , Research Assistant (38) , Summer Intern (29) , Post-Baccalaureate Fellow (27) , Scientist (25) , Research Scientist (23) , Biologist (22) , Program Analyst (21) , Post Doctoral Fellow (20) , Visiting Fellow (20)

What are the pros of working at NIH according to real employee reviews?

"The people are great and having a role in biomedical research is rewarding" ((in 133 reviews)); "good benefits and pro." ((in 129 reviews)); "Flexible and good work/life balance" ((in 74 reviews)); "Great lab and colleagues." ((in 57 reviews)); "Great opportunity to be mentored and grow as a scientist" ((in 48 reviews))

What are the cons of working at NIH according to real employee reviews?

"Low salaries and lack of benefit." ((in 76 reviews)); "can become repetitive, sometime poor management, same activity repeated," ((in 28 reviews)); "too much bureaucracy and regulations" ((in 14 reviews)); "Corrupt leadership, erosion of standards" ((in 13 reviews)); "Certain managers (and this is a systematic problem government wide) that focus on promotion based on "time in grade" rather than job performance." ((in 10 reviews))

What are employees saying about NIH redundancies in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about NIH redundancy and their outlook for job security at NIH in 2026.

What are the top reviewed NIH locations?

Hamilton , Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu

NIH Reviews

4.1

80% would recommend to a friend

(2,340 total reviews)

Francis S. Collins

82% approve of CEO

60% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Ethnic group

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

NIH has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 2,340 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The NIH employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews

4.0

Jun 29, 2026

Helpful training and meaningful work

Postdoctoral fellow

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Meaningful work Stimulating environment Career development opportunities

Cons

Turbulent in the recent past

5.0

Jun 26, 2026

Stress-free, science-driven work but slow processes

Scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Not stressful, science based, not profit.

Cons

Slow processes, too many meetings.

4.0

Jun 25, 2026

Amazing potential, toxic nursing management

Senior clinical research nurse

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Working with the some of the smartest scientists and clinicians in the world. So many learning opportunities. Kind patients. Allowed time to care for patients as there is no pressure of quotas by health insurance.

Cons

Nursing management can be verbally abusive with frequent retaliation and intimidation. As most older nurses have worked there for most of their career, they are dismissive of new perspectives and resistant to evidence-based practice.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 2,340 Reviews

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Helpful training and meaningful work

Stress-free, science-driven work but slow processes

Amazing potential, toxic nursing management

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