Is Merck a good company to work for?

Merck has an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5, based on over 8,180 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 83% of employees would recommend working at Merck to a friend and 72% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Merck have been left by employees working as Co-Op , Intern and Internship .

Does Merck pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Merck employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.1 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Merck. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Merck?

83% of Merck employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Merck 4.0 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.9 for culture and values and 3.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Merck?

Associate Director (235) , Director (190) , Intern (171) , Senior Scientist (163) , Sales Representative (117) , Scientist (94) , Associate Principal Scientist (93) , Senior Specialist (92) , Project Manager (88) , Manager (86) , Pharmaceuticals Sales Representative (59) , Associate Specialist (58) , Specialist (58) , Operations Manager (51) , Internship (49)

What are the pros of working at Merck according to real employee reviews?

"Benefits are good (middle of road for pharma) Great when compared to other industries" ((in 735 reviews)); "There has been some really great people that have worked in Durham but many have left." ((in 525 reviews)); "Working in maintenance the work can have pressure at times but overall has a good work/life balance." ((in 327 reviews)); "Pay was good and the year end bonus was nice." ((in 318 reviews)); "The culture was great and very inclusive" ((in 283 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Merck according to real employee reviews?

"Poor management; lack of trust between management and reps" ((in 224 reviews)); "Frequent layoffs and reorgs." ((in 135 reviews)); "Merck discovered this ticket and Manager Y and his/her boss called to discuss with me." ((in 111 reviews)); "upper management seems confused; jobs get eliinated" ((in 84 reviews)); "Poor leadership and talent management" ((in 72 reviews))

What are employees saying about Merck layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed Merck locations?

West Point , Rahway , Kenilworth , Durham , Philadelphia , North Wales , Elkton , Boston , Lansdale , Whitehouse Station , Summit , New York , Newark , South San Francisco , Los Angeles , Cambridge , Millsboro , Wilson , Whitehouse , Branchburg , Jersey City , Charlotte , Madison , Raleigh , Chicago , New Brunswick , Elkhorn , Washington , Houston , San Francisco

Merck reviews

4.1

83% would recommend to a friend

(6,165 total reviews)

Rob Davis

82% approve of CEO

72% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Diversity & inclusion

4.1

Compensation and benefits

4.0

Work/Life balance

3.9

Culture & values

3.7

Career opportunities

3.5

Senior management

Merck has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 6,165 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Merck employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology industry (3.5 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

6K reviews

2.0

Feb 12, 2015

West Point, PA. Toxic work atmosphere

Technical engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Large site, many good people and opportunities.

Cons

At the time I was there, before the most recent cutbacks, there was an undercurrent of poor attitude. Never encountered an atmosphere of disrespect and a lack of willingness to assist a new employee. Honestly felt there was something wrong on the second day of orientation. The attitude and treatment of the people was a real eye opener. I would imagine it has gotten worse with the recent cutbacks. It had been a sterling company growing up in the area. The quote "All that glitters is not gold" rings true.

3.0

Feb 12, 2015

Overall, the salary and benefits were excellent; sales environment ever changing; high stress

Executive customer representative

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Salary & benefits; leadership more involved than in previous years

Cons

Continual transition and change; expectations that were highly subjective and not always realistic; company's focus continues to be on developing weaknesses than utilizing strengths... so frustration sets in; constant down-sizing and team changes; opportunities for advancement/promotion slim

2.0

Feb 2, 2015

Work here for the paycheck, not for a fulfilling experience

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Some flexibility that allows work/life balance (flex time, job share, working remote)

Cons

Serious culture issues, obvious communication obstacles between division - each division feels like a different company

Viewing 409 - 411 of 6,165 Reviews

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Merck

Merck reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

West Point, PA. Toxic work atmosphere

Overall, the salary and benefits were excellent; sales environment ever changing; high stress

Work here for the paycheck, not for a fulfilling experience

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