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 employee retirement matching." ((in 29 reviews)); "Great people who love what they do and the people they do it with." ((in 16 reviews)); "I've got smart colleagues to work with." ((in 13 reviews)); "good work / life balance" ((in 12 reviews)); "Job security seems excellent." ((in 8 reviews))

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

"Pay is low." ((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)); "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

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Institute for Defense Analyses

Institute for Defense Analyses reviews

3.6

60% would recommend to a friend

(206 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

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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

206 reviews

5.0

Jun 14, 2024

Good people, good work

Research associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great people working on really interesting topics

Cons

Difficult to advance within the company.

4.0

Jun 3, 2024

Good place to work

Cyber security analyst

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good training support and flexibilitry

Cons

I 95 traffic cause commute issues

2.0

May 6, 2024

Low pay

Security guard

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good retirement company contribution, 11%

Cons

Low pay and raises. Flat org, no upward mobility. Discrimination. Favoritism.

Institute for Defense Analyses Response

While IDA’s organizational structure does include a uniquely flat design, growth within your position, skillset or area of responsibility is encouraged. Cross-divisional opportunities for growth also remain a part of how we foster development for our staff. Every employee at IDA plays a role in furthering our Mission. Please note that IDA takes discrimination allegations very seriously and investigates all complaints. To file a complaint or share information as a former employee, you can use this link: https://www.ida.org/about-ida/code-of-conduct or reach out to CorporateCompliance@ida.org.

Viewing 121 - 123 of 206 Reviews

Jobs at Institute for Defense Analyses

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