Pretty good gig for full-timers looking for a safe job, contractors get a raw deal. - Engineer 3M Employee Review

4.0
Aug 31, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Most people are great. No one on the ground treats contractors any different than 3Mers. Culture varies a lot by group (it's a huge company after all). My group was great, very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

Cons

Hopefully you got a job that interests you because there is little to no chance at advancement as a contract employee. Your manager will probably talk to you about a conversion, but their plans will be subject to 4+ managers and executives above them. Every time one of those positions changes, all plans get reevaluated (and very often thrown out the window). Since most management positions change every 2-5 years you are pretty much guaranteed to be chasing the full-time conversion for 3-6 years, but really it is never guaranteed and I promise you they will try to low-ball you on the offer (make sure you take those years to learn the pay scales and pay attention to min/max/market). Honestly, I had to have had one of the best contracts around (20 hrs per week, I set the hours, pay rate comparable to T3 engineer) but even I grew tired of it after 2 years and got a much better full-time job elsewhere.

Explore other reviews about 3M

5.0
Jun 15, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good company to work for.

Cons

Large corp culture for employees

3.0
Jul 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great products and brand recognition. There are a lot of smart people that love to transfer knowledge. If you want to learn, 3M is a great place for you.

Cons

The culture has changed with the new CEO. The company became more aggressive towards driving revenue versus making innovative products. Also, many people have been upset with the end of remote work.

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