Applied Materials reviews

3.9

78% would recommend to a friend

(4,566 total reviews)
avatar

Gary Dickerson

86% approve of CEO

73% positive business outlook

Applied Materials has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 4,566 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Applied Materials employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Manufacturing industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

5K reviews
2.0
Sep 30, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The company is the market leader in its segment. It is cash rich, and has the technical depth to rapidly enter new and growing sectors like renewable energy and make an immediate impact. It also shows a willingness to exit unprofitable businesses rather than letting them bleed for years. Company is also a decent paymaster. The work culture is driven and aggressive, and you are constantly being asked to question your and your colleagues' ideas. This breeds healthy competition and is consistent with the silicon valley work culture. Besides, every one puts in long hours and extra effort as needed to get the job done.

Cons

Too political, with numerous lobbies and factions. Each group spends a lot of time lobbying to get the "glamorous" assignments, as a result of which important yet more routine tasks often slip through the cracks. It is also somewhat disorganized and chaotic, with redundant teams and work, and a lack of attention to detail that can sometimes result in shoddy output. Some teams are overloaded, and some are in cruise control. A significant amount of work needs to be done in the area of people and career management (there is too much focus on daily tasks while ignoring the bigger picture).

3.0
Sep 26, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Applied Materials is teeming with very intelligent motivated employees who can find clever solutions to most of the problems they face. The people at Applied are the reason it's a great place to work.

Cons

It is very difficult to maintain a good work life balance since the work hours are very long

1.0
Sep 23, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The benefits are good and the salary is reasonable, but not very competitive with other tech jobs. (And besides, one should get combat pay for working at AMAT.) Other than what I mentioned, this company is the worst place I've worked for in my long career.

Cons

Applied is constantly rated as a great place to work, but most employees I worked with over many years disliked being at Applied. My feedback is not "sour grapes", but the consensus of other employees at AMAT also. There are many disadvantages: It is a combative, not cooperative work environment. Succeeding in this company is all about politics. For instance, directors will sabotage a project to make sure another director doesn't succeed. Very few decisions are made because they provide an arsenal for your enemies. Failure is not acceptable, but indecisiveness is tolerated. Real success is rare. Sr. management does a poor job of evaluating the costs and risks of major programs. Job advancements and salary increases are based on favoritism. Now, profit sharing will be based on the same criteria – meaning some employees won’t be recognized for their contributions, while those who have not accomplished much will get generous bonuses.

Viewing 4534 - 4536 of 4,566 Reviews

Glassdoor has 5,382 Applied Materials reviews submitted anonymously by Applied Materials employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Applied Materials is right for you.