Is Northwestern Mutual a good company to work for?

Northwestern Mutual has an overall rating of 4.0 out of 5, based on over 12,847 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has increased by 4% over the last 12 months. 70% of employees would recommend working at Northwestern Mutual to a friend and 73% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Northwestern Mutual have been left by employees working as Managing Director , Wealth Management Advisor and Director of Selection .

Does Northwestern Mutual pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Northwestern Mutual employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.8 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Northwestern Mutual. This rating has improved by 5% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Northwestern Mutual?

70% of Northwestern Mutual employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Northwestern Mutual 4.0 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 Northwestern Mutual?

Financial Representative (2900) , Financial Advisor (1412) , College Financial Representative (935) , Financial Representative Intern (427) , Intern (406) , Associate Financial Representative (260) , Recruiter (157) , Internship (115) , Associate Wealth Management Advisor (94) , Financial Services Representative (85) , Sales Representative (76) , Software Engineer (71) , Financial Planner (64) , Wealth Management Advisor (59) , Administrative Assistant (57)

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

"The actual job was easy and I got to get to know some really great people!" ((in 909 reviews)); "NW has a great culture for someone who is inexperience to come into a role and learn." ((in 791 reviews)); "Backed by a giving company who cares about their employees and provide great training and development." ((in 628 reviews)); "Great training program they taught you a lot about the business and how it worked." ((in 209 reviews)); "Potential for great income and a work/life balance after making it through the first couple years." ((in 201 reviews))

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

"Base pay is horrendous and for an internship commission only is hard to live off of." ((in 548 reviews)); "No salary and expenses after two years" ((in 400 reviews)); "Pay is low (pretty much all commission based except for $100 weekly stipend)." ((in 307 reviews)); "Only focused on selling Insurance" ((in 162 reviews)); "glorified insurance sales" ((in 81 reviews))

What are employees saying about Northwestern Mutual layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed Northwestern Mutual locations?

Milwaukee , New York , Chicago , Los Angeles , Dallas , Franklin , Denver , Atlanta , Pittsburgh , San Diego , Minneapolis , Boston , Houston , San Francisco , Philadelphia , Saint Louis , Tampa , Indianapolis , Richmond , Irvine , Seattle , Cincinnati , Orlando , Charlotte , West Hartford , Raleigh , Austin , Nashville , Columbus , Albany

Northwestern Mutual reviews

4.0

70% would recommend to a friend

(8,243 total reviews)

Timothy J. Gerend

94% approve of CEO

73% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (8,243 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Northwestern Mutual has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 8,243 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Northwestern Mutual employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Financial Services industry (3.8 stars).

Reviews by job title

8K reviews

5.0

Dec 10, 2008

Northwestern Mutual is the best company in the United States.

Financial representative

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

You have your own business, so you are compensated for the work that you are willing to do. The company has very good training so that you are not just left on your own to figure things out. You work next to people just like you everyday so that you can all work together and push each other to become the best that you are. The company's financial strength is so good that you don't really need anything else to know that you are working for a company that will keep its promise. In these days that is better than what most companies can give you.

Cons

There is really nothing bad about this company. Look at Forbes magazine. It has been the most admired company in its industry for 25 years straight. That says something when your competitors in the industry will give you that rating for 25 years running.

5.0

Dec 9, 2008

Northwestern Mutual...like being a Nascar driver, you drive the machine, but have a great crew behind you!

Associate financial advisor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

There could be a lot of reasons to work for Northwestern Mutual, but for me three things have made me the happiest First, Northwestern is a great company ethically and in terms of performance. I couldn't take more pride in my work place than I do in Northwestern! It's a company respected among its peers for quality products and services, and every year it leads the industry in performance. Second, the work environment is great. It is what you make it, and if-like me-you value family time you have a flexible schedule to work around family events. Third, I get the opportunity to work with and help great people everyday. Northwestern Mutual gives me the ability to do everyday what I always hoped I would be doing, and that's to make a positive difference in others lives. I never thought I would really end up with a job that would fit me in every way, but Northwestern is that place! I am very happy.

Cons

Since it is a place that promotes a self employed atmosphere, it can change from city to city. While Northwestern Mutual does a good job of promoting a quality atmosphere wherever you are, in the end it will depend on you and your staff. If you promote good values, you'll have a solid foundation underneath you. However, the small business owner format also means that you may have to pick up a lot of overhead. If you can't manage expenses well, maybe its not the place for you. Also, there aren't corporate benefits available for some staff. This means employee benefits may cost you a little more and may make it a little more difficult to find quality staff members.

2.0

Dec 9, 2008

Don't Join Northwestern Mutual Unless You Have Enough Money To Live For 1 Year Without A Paycheck

Financial representative

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Northwestern Mutual is a top notch company. Northwestern Mutual prides itself on the idea of Mutual Respect. This "Respect" is not only for its employees and financial representatives but also for its policy owners. Northwestern Mutual calls itself the "Policy Owners Company." You will never have to appologize for Northwestern Mutual because Northwestern Mutual always does the right thing. It is a company you can be proud to work for. Northwestern Mutual has been voted the Most Admired Company for 26 straight years by its peers in the financial world in Fortune Magazine. The other great thing about working for Northwestern Mutual is the Work/Life Balance. The ability to work your own schedule allows a financial representative to attend important family events, help out at your children's school, or take that vacation you have planned without having to worry about the "boss" making you stay for a big meeting. Northwestern Mutual also has a sales training program that is second to none. Even if a career with Northwestern Mutual does not work out, the training you receive will be invaluable in any future endeavor.

Cons

A financial representative at Northwestern Mutual is a contracted employee and is paid strictly on commission. This makes it very difficult for someone who does not have a lot of savings to get through the first few years of small commission checks. Most sales will take 60-120 days from first sales call to actually getting compensated and this long lag time creates a lot of hardship for financial representatives who don't have any savings to turn to. Another issue with Northwestern Mutual is their harsh underwriting. Many times you will submit an application and think that you have made a pretty good commission only to learn that your case has been highly rated (usually involving a much higher premium that your client is unwilling to pay) or straight up declined. These cases are disheartening and there is zero financial support from Northwestern Mutual if this occurs.

Viewing 8194 - 8196 of 8,243 Reviews

Jobs at Northwestern Mutual

Front Desk Receptionist