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 764 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 (36) , 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 104 reviews)); "Great benefits and overall great time as an intern!" ((in 81 reviews)); "Good work life balance for specialists" ((in 46 reviews)); "Great team and culture." ((in 19 reviews)); "Excellent opportunities to learn on impactful projects." ((in 15 reviews))

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

"i.e. pay was low." ((in 29 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 6 reviews)); "Compensation is ~20% below market (including no equity nor bonuses)." ((in 6 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.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory reviews

4.4

96% would recommend to a friend

(510 total reviews)

Eric Evans

98% approve of CEO

86% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.4

Work/Life balance

4.3

Diversity & inclusion

4.1

Culture & values

4.0

Career opportunities

3.9

Compensation and benefits

3.6

Senior management

MIT Lincoln Laboratory has an employee rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars, based on 510 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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

510 reviews

4.0

Oct 26, 2013

Great combination of research and implementation

Technical staff

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Work-life balance, merit-based, work atmosphere, experts in the field, opportunities for growth in an area, advanced hardware and systems, technical seminars and other outside speakers

Cons

competitive but not the best salaries, can become pigeon-holed, closed programs, lack of big bonuses and profit sharing

MIT Lincoln Laboratory Response

12y

Your insights are helpful and we are pleased that you are finding the work-life balance and merit based environment to be positives. As a not-for-profit, federally funded facility, we do have some compensation considerations that are not common in industry. That being said, the total compensation program is quite good and employees generally find that over the long term our stability and retirement programs are beneficial. We emphasize work-life balance in a way that is also not common in industry where the profit motive can lead to different pressures. I think our low attrition rates speak to the opportunities for growth that are offered.

2.0

Oct 13, 2013

A Bizarre Place to Work

Technical staff

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

-- Access to MIT libraries -- Flexible work schedules and a relaxed work environment -- Many younger colleagues are quite good and a pleasure to work with

Cons

-- Lack of competent management at all levels -- Old boys club; promotions are based on who you know and not on the quality of your work -- Many projects have questionable technical merit and there is pressure to make audacious claims about the quality and importance of one's work rather than those which are more grounded in reality -- A paradise for crackpots and cranks -- Questionable ethics -- Anything to do with security

MIT Lincoln Laboratory Response

12y

The linkage to MIT staff and resources is a strong benefit for Lincoln Laboratory. This has recently been strengthened by the creation of Beaverworks, a facility in Cambridge that will provide more opportunity for information exchange. People considering employment at Lincoln Laboratory should be aware that security is a big aspect of day to day operations. We have been recognized by DOD for our security operations. Lincoln Laboratory has a strong, formal program to train and guide employees in situations that may include ethical or conflict of interest issues. These are taken seriously by all levels of the organization.

3.0

Sep 10, 2013

Great Technical Environment, BUT involves defense and weapons systems

Systems engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

great technical environment. Lots of opportunities to work with advanced technology. lots of smart people who will be your co workers

Cons

work requires you to put aside any concerns you might have for people. work involves defense systems, weapons systems and support for nsa surveillance are amongst the concerns you will have to deal with

MIT Lincoln Laboratory Response

12y

We are pleased that you were impressed with the technical environment and the high quality of technical talent at Lincoln Laboratory. We are fortunate to be able to attract and retain top talent to address critical issues. As a DOD sponsored research facility our focus is on sensors, information systems, and decision support. Certainly candidates who are considering employment at Lincoln Laboratory should be aware of the DOD focus and the security requirements that come with it. For over sixty years the Laboratory has developed solutions that have addressed national security needs. Candidates who are motivated to contribute to that effort will find it to be an exciting and rewarding place to work.

Viewing 466 - 468 of 510 Reviews

Jobs at MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Group Administrative Assistant

Administrative Assistant V