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. 59% of employees would recommend working at Institute for Defense Analyses to a friend and 44% 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?

59% 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 2.9 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 28 reviews)); "I've got smart colleagues to work with." ((in 15 reviews)); "Nice people throughout the company." ((in 15 reviews)); "Great work life balance at work" ((in 11 reviews)); "Smart people, wonderful coworkers" ((in 6 reviews))

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

"Pay is low." ((in 10 reviews)); "Poor management" ((in 9 reviews)); "Cons are pay scales are not transparent and upward mobility is mainly driven by educational degree." ((in 5 reviews)); "Not too many cons in my view; fairly flat management structure" ((in 3 reviews)); "Your immediate supervisor will often try to hold you back from taking on roles that help you advance." ((in 2 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

Institute for Defense Analyses reviews

3.6

59% would recommend to a friend

(206 total reviews)

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

100% approve of CEO

44% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (206 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Institute for Defense Analyses has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 206 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Institute for Defense Analyses 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

206 reviews

4.0

Feb 19, 2018

IDA review

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

They have good benefits and the work environment is relatively low pressure.

Cons

While there are no issues with the day-to-day work environment, the company has some gender equity issues. Thus, for some, it may be best suited as a first job at which you gain experience then move one. Staying there long-term or starting there mid-career may limit career growth and salary.

4.0

Nov 15, 2017

Research Assitant

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

flexible, interesting topics, good retirement benefits

Cons

no ladder, lower pay, mostly males, older crowd

3.0

May 12, 2016

Stolid organization

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

* Superior job security * High intellectual integrity * Access to, and impact on, the high offices of the most powerful military in the world

Cons

* Basically just strategy consulting for the Pentagon -- no real research * No financial reward for out-performance or doing the work of more than one person

Viewing 10 - 12 of 206 Reviews

Jobs at Institute for Defense Analyses

Research Analyst – Space Science, Engineering, and Policy

Buyer - Consultant Services

Summer Associate SCAMP 2027-28 CCRP

Senior Executive Assistant to EVP