Is UC Riverside a good company to work for?

UC Riverside has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, based on over 2,082 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 87% of employees would recommend working at UC Riverside to a friend and 48% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about UC Riverside have been left by employees working as Administrative Assistant , Undergraduate Research Assistant and Lab Assistant .

Does UC Riverside pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, UC Riverside employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.7 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at UC Riverside. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at UC Riverside?

87% of UC Riverside employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated UC Riverside 4.0 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.1 for culture and values and 3.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at UC Riverside?

Teaching Assistant (82) , Graduate Student Researcher (79) , Graduate Research Assistant (69) , Research Assistant (69) , Student Assistant (58) , Graduate Teaching Assistant (54) , Graduate Student (33) , Student Worker (27) , Postdoctoral Fellow (25) , PhD Student (24) , Undergraduate Research Assistant (23) , Postdoctoral Researcher (21) , Lab Assistant (20) , PhD Graduate Student (17) , Postdoctoral Scholar (12)

What are the pros of working at UC Riverside according to real employee reviews?

"Its fun and you meet lots of great people and connect to all the different UCR Departments." ((in 92 reviews)); "Benefits are good and the job is pretty stable" ((in 91 reviews)); "Flexible hours and willing to work with your schedule" ((in 73 reviews)); "The staff was friendly and worked well with my college schedule." ((in 54 reviews)); "The campus is beautiful and enjoyable to walk around." ((in 49 reviews))

What are the cons of working at UC Riverside according to real employee reviews?

"There are very few PIs who are not toxic in some way and the pay is very low." ((in 107 reviews)); "profit organization so the salary is low and they are understaffed so everyone is working more than two positions." ((in 48 reviews)); "Large classes." ((in 10 reviews)); "Upper management was adamant on retaining an employee who worked with us." ((in 9 reviews)); "Senior leadership" ((in 9 reviews))

What are employees saying about UC Riverside layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed UC Riverside locations?

Riverside , Los Angeles , Moreno Valley , Irvine , Orange , Fontana , Redlands , San Diego , New York , Oakland , Riverside , UC Berkeley , Newark , Rutherford , Illinois City , Upton , Tucson , Ringling , Columbus , California City , Parlier , Anaheim , Arcadia , Cerritos , El Monte , Hawthorne , Lynwood , Mission Viejo , North Hollywood , Pomona

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UC Riverside

UC Riverside reviews

Great Campus and lifestyle - PhD Student UC Riverside Employee Review

5.0

Jan 4, 2017

Phd student

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

This was the most diverse UC campus with much work going into improvements. The recent opening of the new School of Medicine was a major milestone that distinctly highlights the school's strength in medical education and biomedical research among other strengths including Humanities, especially the English Department with its essential and effective Writing Program, agricultural and environmental research, and much more!

Cons

The campus perimeter could use improved security since there were regular reports of crimes. There weren't as many in 2016 though, and I don't know of the current situation. For the hot summers, there aren't too many shaded outdoor areas except for the area in front of the library or the HUB. However, I've heard that other places like UT Southwestern provide nice protection from the sun.

UC Riverside Response

We always love hearing from former students and employees of UCR. Thanks so much for your comment regarding the new UCR School of Medicine. We are thrilled to have a team of very well-respected leaders in the field of medicine who are committed to improving health care for Southern California residents. In regards to safety on the campus, this is a primary focus for the University, and something that we take very seriously. The UCR Police Department is committed to ensuring that our campus is a safe place to live, work, visit and study. UCPD and the City of Riverside Police mutually patrol the immediate area surrounding our campus. The City and UCR placed open-area security cameras just to the west of campus to help detect and deter crime. We believe these collective efforts are making a difference.

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5.0

Jul 20, 2026

Lifeguard

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great management, hours are flexible and staff is friendly. Plenty of benefits regarding location to campus and proximity to cooking well.

Cons

Hours are dependent on staff size, so if you’re in a larger group you may need to be quicker when picking up shifts

3.0

Jul 24, 2026

Graduate teaching assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Diverse campus Most faculty are very well-connected and supportive Some opportunities for funded travel to conferences, etc. I was able to get enough experience in 3 years as a TA to land a full-time job in the career field I want to pursue.

Cons

As a teaching assistant in my department (comparative literature), you will be mostly on your own if you are assigned to teach language course. Grad students are notoriously exploited and this program/ position is typical of the field in this sense. The institution is a business at the end of the day, so remember that your health and overall wellbeing are not a priority for the university; as a teaching assistant, you MUST have strong boundaries or you will be burnt out by midterms.

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