Is Guitar Center a good company to work for?

Guitar Center has an overall rating of 2.8 out of 5, based on over 2,796 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 6% over the last 12 months. 41% of employees would recommend working at Guitar Center to a friend and 24% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Guitar Center have been left by employees working as Music Instructor , Private Lessons Instructor and Music Teacher .

Does Guitar Center pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Guitar Center employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.4 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Guitar Center. This rating has decreased by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Guitar Center?

41% of Guitar Center employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Guitar Center 2.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 2.7 for culture and values and 2.4 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Guitar Center?

Sales Associate (598) , Operations Associate (86) , Store Manager (81) , Instructor (74) , Lessons Lead (69) , Assistant Manager (61) , Gear Advisor (57) , Retail Sales Associate (57) , Customer Service Manager (47) , Operations Manager (44) , Department Manager (40) , Sales (36) , Repair Technician (34) , Customer Service Manager (CSM) (28) , Operations (28)

What are the pros of working at Guitar Center according to real employee reviews?

"The direct people you work with are great and will help you in any way they can." ((in 237 reviews)); "Coworkers are great and helpful" ((in 140 reviews)); "The benefits are good and that's all I can say." ((in 66 reviews)); "The hours are flexible and based on your availability to GC" ((in 45 reviews)); "We swear like sailors in the warehouse and have a great culture as an ops team." ((in 35 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Guitar Center according to real employee reviews?

"Low pay compared to companies with similar store size Low amount of staff result in poor customer and employee experience." ((in 325 reviews)); "Poor management and a corporate atmosphere" ((in 175 reviews)); "Terrible upper management that doesn't seem to have ever worked in a musical retail environment." ((in 91 reviews)); "Commissions were low and sparatic." ((in 80 reviews)); "Managers make less than $20 an hour in a state in which other companies pay managers $50k." ((in 75 reviews))

What are employees saying about Guitar Center layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed Guitar Center locations?

Westlake Village , Los Angeles , New York , Westlake Village , Indianapolis , Chicago , Nashville , Draper , Austin , Houston , Dallas , Boston , Atlanta , Kansas City , Hollywood , San Jose , San Francisco , Knoxville , Rockville , Las Vegas , Seattle , Miami , Mobile , Salt Lake City , Brooklyn , Plano , Thousand Oaks , Concord , Wilmington , Brownsburg

Guitar Center reviews

2.8

41% would recommend to a friend

(2,732 total reviews)

Gabe Dalporto

28% approve of CEO

24% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Guitar Center has an employee rating of 2.8 out of 5 stars, based on 2,732 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Guitar Center employee rating is 21% below average for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

3K reviews

4.0

Jul 24, 2012

Awesome job if you're self-motivated

Pro audio salesperson

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

High earning potential if you never let up. Fun opportunity to work around the stuff you love. Great Employee Perks!

Cons

Difficult to earn commission bonuses in slow months. DEFINITELY NOT Economy Proof. Same pay structure regardless of market area. Opportunities for promotion are slow.

4.0

Jul 23, 2012

Surrounded by musicians who care, including executive level management. Guitar Center is truly a vehicle.

General manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Promotes from within. Amazing discount on gear. Fun and creative people to work with. Challenging work environment. Did I mention being surrounded by gear and musicians?

Cons

I often see so many who come to work in the retail stores, thinking it's an easy gig without having to put much effort in to it.. You have to be a self-driven individual with a passion for people and musical equipment to succeed here.

4.0

Jul 16, 2012

Great job to have for someone who loves music!

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I got to work around people who loved the same thing I did; music. It's a really chill atmosphere and your employer keeps it professional so you don't have to worry about things getting out of control.

Cons

If you're a girl working there, it's gonna be a little rough. Sometimes people will treat you like you're not as knowledgeable. And you should probably know that if you're not the ONLY girl there, then you're going to be one out of two girls, among probably 60 other employees. :/

Viewing 2629 - 2631 of 2,732 Reviews

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Guitar Center

Guitar Center reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Awesome job if you're self-motivated

Surrounded by musicians who care, including executive level management. Guitar Center is truly a vehicle.

Great job to have for someone who loves music!

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Jobs at Guitar Center