Fermilab reviews

3.4

52% would recommend to a friend

(228 total reviews)
avatar

Nigel Lockyer

47% approve of CEO

37% positive business outlook

Fermilab has an employee rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on 228 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Fermilab employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Government & Public Administration industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

228 reviews
1.0
Dec 21, 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The missions and goals of the lab, very free-minded culture. That's the ONLY thing that kept me coming to work every day.

Cons

I took on the job because I was a hard-working honest individual trying to improve my career in what seemed to be a very appealing job. I was called by a headhunter about the job so I took it since I had a deep interest in science. I didn't want to go through the headhunter to begin with but I thought maybe it was a way for me to get my foot in the door on a FT position at the lab. So, it was a contract job to begin with. My co-workers and my bosses preached about how the job could lead to full time, so I worked diligently to prove myself. Well, it got to the point when I felt like Pavlov's dog.. promises but no results. The management will talk down on you and remind you that you are a contractor for the organization. I'm sure I could've been part of their "boy's club" and take part in degrading people if I joined the lab through their HR Dept., man oh man look at all the fun I missed out on!!

2.0
Apr 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

It is a place with strong potential, good technical infrastructure, and a beautiful natural setting. It offers a diverse mix of people and professions, and it typically provides more stability and flexibility than industry, along with a fair salary.

Cons

Professionals outside the physics discipline are often not given full recognition as subject-matter experts in their own fields and are frequently overridden by individuals in senior or privileged positions. In many cases, decisions are driven more by influence, convenience, or personal preference than by operational needs or technical best practices. As a result, non-physicist professionals may be relegated to routine or less desirable tasks, while higher-visibility projects and decision-making responsibilities are concentrated elsewhere. Basicaly non-physicist professionals are hired to support or maintain systems that were implemented without sufficient planning or domain expertise, leaving significant room for improvement. This dynamic can lead to underutilization of specialized talent, reduced efficiency, operational challenges, frustration among staff, and, over time, burnout. Definitively not a good place to work for non-physicist professionals. NOTE: The actual CEO is Norbert Holtkamp

4.0
Mar 31, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Really good work-life balance. Smart people. Interesting projects.

Cons

Management has MUCH less power than in the private company due to regulation. This is good for the stability of employees and at the same time bad for the culture as bad employees can underperform and make other pickup the slack with almost no consequence.

Viewing 40 - 42 of 228 Reviews

Glassdoor has 334 Fermilab reviews submitted anonymously by Fermilab employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Fermilab is right for you.