Is MIT Lincoln Laboratory a good company to work for?

MIT Lincoln Laboratory has an overall rating of 4.4 out of 5, based on over 766 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 4% over the last 12 months. 96% of employees would recommend working at MIT Lincoln Laboratory to a friend and 86% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about MIT Lincoln Laboratory have been left by employees working as Summer Research Intern , Research Intern and Summer Intern .

Does MIT Lincoln Laboratory pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, MIT Lincoln Laboratory employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.9 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. This rating has decreased by 5% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at MIT Lincoln Laboratory?

96% of MIT Lincoln Laboratory employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated MIT Lincoln Laboratory 4.4 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.1 for culture and values and 4.0 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at MIT Lincoln Laboratory?

Member Of Technical Staff (37) , Technical Staff (35) , Assistant Staff (32) , Intern (31) , Associate Staff (26) , Summer Research Intern (25) , Software Engineer (23) , Summer Intern (19) , Associate Technical Staff (18) , Research Intern (14) , Assistant Technical Staff (11) , Engineer (11) , Subcontractor (9) , Administrative Assistant (8) , Information Systems Security Officer (ISSO) (8)

What are the pros of working at MIT Lincoln Laboratory according to real employee reviews?

"People that I worked with were great except for some individual from my own team." ((in 101 reviews)); "Great benefits and overall great time as an intern!" ((in 82 reviews)); "Great benefits and culture." ((in 20 reviews)); "Excellent opportunities to learn on impactful projects." ((in 15 reviews)); "Overall really great staff to work with." ((in 14 reviews))

What are the cons of working at MIT Lincoln Laboratory according to real employee reviews?

"Pay is low for the industry and pay raises are percentage based (3% is typical)." ((in 27 reviews)); "Salaries are not competitive with industry and raise structure does not provide monetary incentives for performance." ((in 22 reviews)); "Possibilities of managers who aren't great at running projects leading to alot of frustrating days" ((in 8 reviews)); "Flat management structure so promotions are few and far in between" ((in 7 reviews)); "Compensation is highly dependent upon academic credentials (degree)" ((in 5 reviews))

What are employees saying about MIT Lincoln Laboratory layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed MIT Lincoln Laboratory locations?

Lexington , Boston , Cambridge , Bedford , Hanscom AFB , Lincoln , Westford , Huntsville , Chicago , Rochester , La Porte , Minneapolis , West Hollywood , Mont Vernon , Colorado Springs , Beverly , Burlington , Lowell , Medford , Tewksbury , Waltham

MIT Lincoln Laboratory reviews

4.4

96% would recommend to a friend

(512 total reviews)

Eric Evans

98% approve of CEO

86% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

MIT Lincoln Laboratory has an employee rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars, based on 512 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The MIT Lincoln Laboratory employee rating is 21% above average for employers within the Aerospace & Defense industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

512 reviews

5.0

Jan 27, 2014

Great place to work!

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits, flexible hours, good people, smart people, healthy working environment, meaningful work, just an all around great place to work

Cons

I think some people can get annoyed with all the security but I know it comes with the job. It is located on a Air Force Base.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory Response

12y

Thanks for your insights. It is true that security is a big part of the work experience here. The Lab was recently recognized with a top award for excellent security practices. It is an important part of our role and we take it seriously. The benefits, flexibility and meaningful work typically offset any security concerns.

3.0

Dec 23, 2013

Former staff member for 4+ years

Software engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Some researchers are brilliant and certain projects are rewarding. Benefits are top notch - PTO, vacation, flex working conditions.

Cons

It's a bloated, old school organization run by PhDs promoted to managerial positions. Often these individuals are brilliant scientists but incompetent managers. Recent government funding issues have caused a decrease in the number of available projects and quality of workers. Promotion is very slow (5+ years). Compensation is ~20% below market (including no equity nor bonuses).

MIT Lincoln Laboratory Response

12y

Your observations on the rewarding projects and brilliant staff are appreciated. As a not-for-profit laboratory we are unable to offer an equity position, however all available data shows that our compensation is quite competitive with industry and the overall market. What we lack in equity and bonus programs, we are able to make up with resources, challenging work, and strong work/life balance. The recent funding issues that have been widespread for all government contractors have settled down significantly and we believe that our work program is strong for the foreseeable future. Thank you for your insights.

5.0

Dec 22, 2013

MIT Lincoln Laboratory as at the forefront of technology

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

technology, culture, smart people, opportunities for movement to things of interest

Cons

parking, some arbitrary rules get in the way

MIT Lincoln Laboratory Response

12y

Thank you for your comments. Parking can be a challenge and there is active study ongoing to find viable options within the existing space constraints. We do have some administrative steps that do not exist in private industry and are established to meet security, contracting, and purchasing requirements. We try to keep bureaucracy to a minimum while still meeting the contractual and compliance requirements that exist. Your optimism and positive thoughts are appreciated.

Viewing 463 - 465 of 512 Reviews

Jobs at MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Business/Systems Analyst

Business/Systems Analyst

Summer Office Assistant | Financial Services Dept. | Summer 2026