Amazing Technology, Decent Pay, Unnecessary Stress - Global Product Support Engineer III Lam Research Employee Review

1.0
Feb 26, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

* Pay is towards the lower end of the industry, even compared to much smaller companies * Technology is truly amazing. Some brilliant and dedicated engineers work there

Cons

* Pay needs to be about 15% higher. Claims the "budget doesn't allow for it" are tired, considering continuous successes, and ridiculous stock buybacks * Erratic work hours including very late or very early meetings to accommodate global customers * Undue added stress especially for long-term projects. Lam seems to want to placate their customers with "quick turnover"... truly illogical for long-term projects * The return to office fever continues w/ unjustified metrics. Hybrid work setting that was yanked even when ~90% of the role could be performed remotely. The excuse? Quick turnover again. Unreasonable considering the scope of the projects

Explore other reviews about Lam Research

5.0
Jun 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good work life balance and management

Cons

Challenge customer, leans towards Taiwanese colleague

2.0
Jun 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pay is market rate or slightly higher. Smart new fresh grads join every year. They work hard.

Cons

Avoid Dielectric Etch Org as much as you can. Both product and process engineering. Constant Pressure, extreme long work hours, You are working 7/8 AM to 9/10PM, need to work on weekends because of lack of tool times. High level management yelling, screaming in meetings for anything trivial. If CVP wakes up not happy that day, someone will get yelled at in either large or small meetings for small things. THIS IS Dielectric Etch Culture at Lam. This place is a cesspool of nepotism. Even director levels are being yelled at constantly in meetings for various reasons, if he or she is not favored by the CVP. If a mediocre engineer or director who is liked by CVP, he will have much easy time cruising through with minimal effort and knowledge. ... If you are fresh PhD from top or mid tier schools, expect 80hr work weeks, and if you are not lucky, wait for 4 years to be promoted from lvl 3 to 4 level and stuck with no options to move around because you are stuck in Semiconductor equipment industry and other orgs in Lam won't take you. There are many junior engineers with excellent work ethic stuck doing the same things for half a decade without a move in their career. But if you are good at lip service, your life will be easier. Do not trust the general statement of Lam has good culture, it is very very dependent on which Org inside Lam.

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