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

Skip to content Skip to footer

Notifications

Charles River Laboratories

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 category

3.7

Diversity & inclusion

3.2

Culture & values

3.2

Work/Life balance

3.1

Career opportunities

3.0

Compensation and benefits

2.7

Senior management

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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

2K reviews

3.0

Jan 29, 2026

Decent Starter company

Research associate ii

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

gained a lot of experience in technical skills

Cons

very little work-life balance, little/no upward mobility

Charles River Laboratories Response

4mo

We appreciate feedback about leadership, as it plays an important role in how we continue to grow and improve. At Charles River, many of our people leaders balance individual responsibilities with the demands of supporting their teams. We’re committed to helping them succeed in both areas. That’s why we’re focused on selecting leaders who demonstrate our CRL DNA behaviors and investing in their ongoing development at every level of their journey.

2.0

Jan 27, 2026

Work you to death and then want more

Supervisor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good job for a year to get experience and get out.

Cons

Never the same after MPI sold. Corporate greed, horrible hours, squeeze every ounce of life from you. Insurance was middle of the road. Pay time off is average, took 2 weeks away that I EARNED as employee of MPI.

2.0

Jan 27, 2026

Terrible culture

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

My team was great with only very few exceptions

Cons

Overall toxic environment, there is always the expectation you will work more and this effort is not acknowledged, salaries are low

Charles River Laboratories Response

4mo

Thank you for sharing your experience. We’re committed to fostering a respectful and empowering workplace, and we take feedback like yours seriously as we work to strengthen our culture.

Viewing 49 - 51 of 2,372 Reviews

Jobs at Charles River Laboratories

Associate Director Global Marketing - Biologics Testing (REMOTE)

Animal Care Technician I

Animal Care Technician I

Charles River Laboratories reviews FAQs

Reviews Charles River Laboratories reviews

Charles River Laboratories

Charles River Laboratories reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Decent Starter company

Work you to death and then want more

Terrible culture

Jobs at Charles River Laboratories

Charles River Laboratories reviews FAQs

Want the inside scoop on your own company?

Bowls

Followed companies

Job searches

Charles River Laboratories reviews FAQs

Jobs at Charles River Laboratories