Does Charles River Laboratories pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Charles River Laboratories employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.0 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Charles River Laboratories. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Charles River Laboratories?

49% of Charles River Laboratories employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Charles River Laboratories 3.2 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.2 for culture and values and 3.1 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Charles River Laboratories?

Lab Technician (78) , Scientist (69) , Animal Care Technician (65) , Research Technician (55) , Technician (52) , Analyst (51) , Research Associate (46) , Research Scientist (42) , Supervisor (37) , Research Assistant (36) , Laboratory Technician (31) , Study Director (27) , Project Manager (25) , Manager (22) , Associate Scientist (20)

What are the pros of working at Charles River Laboratories according to real employee reviews?

"The ability to move around within the company is relatively good and the benefits are good." ((in 242 reviews)); "Great people you work with and a relatively easy job with very easy to understand ladder to climb." ((in 175 reviews)); "Work Life Balance is good" ((in 68 reviews)); "Very interesting place to work and colleagues are great" ((in 44 reviews)); "Great Coworkers (for the most part)" ((in 41 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Charles River Laboratories according to real employee reviews?

"sites are disorganized and pay is low" ((in 174 reviews)); "Management is poor and people who are in charge lack knowledge of CDMO" ((in 168 reviews)); "The low salary also makes it hard to subsequently ask for more at another company." ((in 116 reviews)); "Long hours are common and they happen with little or no warning and frequently (at least a couple times a week)." ((in 39 reviews)); "A lot of managers don't know what actually occurs in their department." ((in 31 reviews))

What are employees saying about Charles River Laboratories layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed Charles River Laboratories locations?

Wilmington , Mattawan , Reno , Ashland , Horsham , Shrewsbury , Memphis , Boston , Charleston , Worcester , Chicago , Bethesda , Raleigh , South San Francisco , Malvern , Wayne , Cambridge , Skokie , San Diego , Rockville , Morrisville , Newark , Frederick , Philadelphia , Kalamazoo , Spencerville , Wilmington , Durham , Kingston , Catskill

Charles River Laboratories reviews

3.1

49% would recommend to a friend

(2,372 total reviews)

Birgit Girshick

66% approve of CEO

33% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Charles River Laboratories has an employee rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars, based on 2,372 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Charles River Laboratories employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews

4.0

Feb 4, 2026

Overall Good Experience

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good benefits, flexible working schedule, good PTO, coworkers were great

Cons

Layoffs were done to save face with stakeholders instead of investing in employees, corporate sends out of touch messaging, a bit stressful and high pace

4.0

Feb 2, 2026

Positive atmosphere and culture

Associate group leader

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Friendly and relaxed environment. Management open to hear feedback

Cons

Daily job is too client dependant, projects start and finish quickly, difficult to make impact

3.0

Feb 1, 2026

The Company Has Good Benefits, But They Overwork You

Animal care technician

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Plenty of PTO and sick leave. The Charles River location I worked for would have catered lunches for the entire team, give out gift cards, provide donuts for breakfast. We'd have team events like bowling.

Cons

So much physical labor that my body would ache at the end of my shift. Very robotic work. Doing the same thing everyday (it can get boring after awhile). After you become a ACT 3 you cannot get any more promotions within that job.

Viewing 46 - 48 of 2,372 Reviews

Jobs at Charles River Laboratories

Animal Care Technician II

Technician I Virology

Animal Care Technician I