Is Merck a good company to work for?

Merck has an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5, based on over 8,194 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 82% of employees would recommend working at Merck to a friend and 71% 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?

82% of Merck employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Merck 3.9 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 (237) , Director (192) , Intern (171) , Senior Scientist (164) , Sales Representative (117) , Scientist (94) , Associate Principal Scientist (93) , Senior Specialist (92) , Project Manager (88) , Manager (86) , Pharmaceuticals Sales Representative (59) , Specialist (59) , Associate Specialist (58) , Operations Manager (51) , Business Analyst (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 753 reviews)); "There has been some really great people that have worked in Durham but many have left." ((in 519 reviews)); "Ambient friendly with good pay" ((in 330 reviews)); "Working in maintenance the work can have pressure at times but overall has a good work/life balance." ((in 324 reviews)); "The culture was great and very inclusive" ((in 285 reviews))

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

"Poor management; lack of trust between management and reps" ((in 223 reviews)); "Frequent layoffs and reorgs." ((in 139 reviews)); "Merck discovered this ticket and Manager Y and his/her boss called to discuss with me." ((in 109 reviews)); "upper management seems confused; jobs get eliinated" ((in 85 reviews)); "Poor leadership and talent management" ((in 75 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 , Boston , Elkton , 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

82% would recommend to a friend

(6,175 total reviews)

Rob Davis

81% approve of CEO

71% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (6,175 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Merck has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 6,175 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).

Reviews by job title

6K reviews

4.0

Feb 28, 2013

Ok place not as good as it was

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Mid-level people are super hard working teams

Cons

Management get to a certain level and closes their doors

3.0

Feb 27, 2013

Merck not what it used to be in the ways that matter

Digital marketing

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Pay and benefits not what they used to be, but still good relative to many companies. Managing to be relatively successful, in a difficult industry, despite many patent expirations.

Cons

Management "talks the talk, but doesn't walk the walk" when it comes to being customer-focused, taking appropriate risks, diversity of ideas and employee engagement. George Merck's quote to "remember the patients" is long forgotten. Decision-making is highly controlled and priorities are never set, therefore trying to execute on every idea that comes along. Probably not done downsizing, which leads to increasingly difficult working conditions (long hours and unrealistic expectations). Career tracks are gone.

4.0

Feb 26, 2013

high growth prospects

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

good culture and high values

Cons

no cons as of now

Viewing 5500 - 5502 of 6,175 Reviews

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Merck

Merck reviews

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Ok place not as good as it was

Merck not what it used to be in the ways that matter

high growth prospects

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