Is Institute for Defense Analyses a good company to work for?

Institute for Defense Analyses has an overall rating of 3.6 out of 5, based on over 231 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 10% over the last 12 months. 60% of employees would recommend working at Institute for Defense Analyses to a friend and 43% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Institute for Defense Analyses have been left by employees working as Summer Associate , Research Associate and Research Staff Member .

Does Institute for Defense Analyses pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Institute for Defense Analyses employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Institute for Defense Analyses. This rating has decreased by 9% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Institute for Defense Analyses?

60% of Institute for Defense Analyses employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Institute for Defense Analyses 3.8 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.2 for culture and values and 3.0 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Institute for Defense Analyses?

Research Staff Member (44) , Research Associate (21) , Summer Associate (14) , Research Assistant (7) , Research Analyst (4) , Researcher (4) , Senior Research Manager (4) , Computer Systems Administrator (3) , Intern (3) , Science Policy Fellow (3) , Security (3) , Analyst (2) , Data Science Fellow (2) , Data Scientist (2) , Personnel Security Specialist (2)

What are the pros of working at Institute for Defense Analyses according to real employee reviews?

"Great Benefits and PTO" ((in 27 reviews)); "I've got smart colleagues to work with." ((in 15 reviews)); "Nice people throughout the company." ((in 14 reviews)); "good work / life balance" ((in 11 reviews)); "Good job security." ((in 7 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Institute for Defense Analyses according to real employee reviews?

"Pay is low." ((in 8 reviews)); "Poor management" ((in 8 reviews)); "Cons are pay scales are not transparent and upward mobility is mainly driven by educational degree." ((in 5 reviews)); "Very little opportunity for career advancement within the company." ((in 3 reviews)); "Not too many cons in my view; fairly flat management structure" ((in 3 reviews))

What are employees saying about Institute for Defense Analyses layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed Institute for Defense Analyses locations?

Alexandria , Washington , Princeton , Arlington , Bowie , New Alexandria

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Institute for Defense Analyses

Institute for Defense Analyses reviews

3.6

60% would recommend to a friend

(57 total reviews)

Adm. Charles A. Richard, USN (Ret.)

100% approve of CEO

43% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.8

Work/Life balance

3.5

Diversity & inclusion

3.5

Compensation and benefits

3.2

Culture & values

3.0

Career opportunities

2.9

Senior management

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

57 reviews

Reviews about "Compensation"

Return to all reviews

2.0

Sep 25, 2025

Not employee friendly

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Decent benefits Nice building to work in

Cons

Lower pay for the area Leadership that continues to devalue employees Increasing bureaucracy Culture of competition

Institute for Defense Analyses Response

6mo

Thank you for your comments. Please know that we take all feedback seriously, especially regarding the health and safety of our staff. The specific facility concerns you referenced have been addressed, mitigated, and communicated internally to the appropriate parties. If there are specific concerns you feel have not been adequately addressed, we would encourage you to share them with your Director, HR Business Partner, or the Office of General Counsel. Anonymous feedback can also be shared via the Code of Conduct Reporting Form on the IIS.

3.0

Aug 2, 2025

Pleasant Working Environment, but Very Limited Opportunities for Pro Growth

Research staff member

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The salaries are competitive. Benefit program, including Leave, Medical, Dental, is very good. Retirement package is excellent. The working environment is good. You don't have to be an workaholic. Easy access to public transportation.

Cons

Very limited opportunities for professonal growth. Any advancement is TOTALLY dependent on whether your Division Director likes you. Your immediate supervisor will often try to hold you back from taking on roles that help you advance. Training opportunities are usually dependent on your identifying a task that will pay for them. Management won't help much with that. It's easy to be stereocast into one role, and difficult to break out of that role. Moving between projects or divisions is discouraged. If you happen to have a poor immediate supervisor, your only real option is to leave the company. Salaries are competitive, but on the low side of the competitive range. You must enjoy working by yourself because few people want to come into the office. If you need office camaraderie, this is NOT the place for you. If you don't live on public transportation, you'll often have long commuting times.

4.0

Jul 17, 2025

A great place to work for longevity. Growth is another story

Network administrator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great work-life balance. Good pay and great benefits. Limitless training opportunities.

Cons

Not much upward mobility. Project variation is limited to company size.

Viewing 4 - 6 of 57 Reviews

Jobs at Institute for Defense Analyses

Research Computer Scientist – IDA Center for Computing Sciences

Adjunct Research Analyst - Test Resource Analyst

Research Analyst - Entry-Level STEM PhD

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Reviews about "Compensation"

Not employee friendly

Pleasant Working Environment, but Very Limited Opportunities for Pro Growth

A great place to work for longevity. Growth is another story

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