Is REI a good company to work for?

REI has an overall rating of 3.6 out of 5, based on over 4,510 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 63% of employees would recommend working at REI to a friend and 34% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about REI have been left by employees working as Store Sales Specialist , Retail Specialist and Frontline Staff .

Does REI pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, REI employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at REI. This rating has improved by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at REI?

63% of REI employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated REI 3.8 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.8 for culture and values and 2.9 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at REI?

Sales Associate (636) , Sales Specialist (463) , Retail Sales Associate (327) , Retail Sales Specialist (179) , Sales Lead (151) , Customer Service Specialist (109) , Customer Service Representative (103) , Cashier (49) , Sales Associate/Cashier (38) , Retail Sales Manager (35) , Customer Service (31) , Warehouse Associate (31) , Sales (30) , Sales Representative (29) , Frontline Cashier (27)

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

"Great for people that enjoy the outdoors particularly if you are looking for deep discounts on outdoor product for yourself." ((in 476 reviews)); "Coworkers are great and the general technical acumen is high." ((in 359 reviews)); "They give you a great discount on all store merchandise as well as comprehensive benefits." ((in 343 reviews)); "REI has a great culture for those who are or want to be involved with the outdoors." ((in 192 reviews)); "Great work life balance is great." ((in 137 reviews))

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

"Low pay and even lower pay for those with over 20 years in the company." ((in 370 reviews)); "Bad management and not much growth" ((in 251 reviews)); "Some managers don't appreciate hard work and favor employees who make them feel liked." ((in 112 reviews)); "Long hours and difficult to have a consistent schedule" ((in 104 reviews)); "Senior Leadership has low awareness of the challenges of getting work done and dismisses the feedback from employees." ((in 59 reviews))

What are employees saying about REI layoffs in 2026?

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

What are the top reviewed REI locations?

Seattle , Kent , Sumner , Denver , New York , San Diego , Portland , Atlanta , San Francisco , Austin , Chicago , Boston , Berkeley , Bellevue , Houston , Tustin , Boulder , Issaquah , Los Angeles , Goodyear , Salt Lake City , Framingham , Washington , Columbus , Bloomington , Dallas , San Antonio , Bedford , Phoenix , San Carlos

REI reviews

3.6

63% would recommend to a friend

(4,371 total reviews)

Mary Beth Laughton

38% approve of CEO

34% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (4,371 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

REI has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 4,371 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The REI employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

4K reviews

3.0

Oct 11, 2013

Hoping change is for the better.

Sales specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent discounts on gear and apparel. Management will work around your schedule if you have other responsibilities.

Cons

Membership sales. Management talks about the company being a Co-op, but membership sales, ad-ons and up sales are as important here as anywhere else. REI will keep around bad employees who do not fit in with the culture as long as they sale memberships. Good, hardworking, well educated employees frequently leave because of no advancement opportunities and a total emphasis on membership sales.

3.0

Oct 4, 2013

Think of it as a cult that is transitioning into a business... BIG business.

Middle manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Working with lots of similar activity minded people. Great discounts (which are shrinking) Outdoor socializing opportunities (which are shrinking) Good health benefits (which are shrinking) Ability to move up (oh, wait. Thats stopped in its tracks)

Cons

Disconnect between Corporate, Middle, Store, and Floor level management. Shrinking benefits Poor pay. Lost sight of its core values. (Some which have been deleted in the past few years, such as "not encouraging debt of the members.") Employee motivation is being changed from that of enthusiasm based to fear based.

2.0

Oct 4, 2013

Nepotism in Misguided Management

Operations

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

A good place to learn outdoor culture and gear. You can do so as a customer, also.

Cons

Most people are promoted for reasons other than capacity. Most corporate HQ employees are non-members.

Viewing 4078 - 4080 of 4,371 Reviews

Jobs at REI

0114 - Santa Fe NM - Store Sales Specialist

Receiving Associate Full Time (Friday through Monday) 4am - 2:30pm

Receiving Associate Full Time - 2nd Shift (Mon-Thurs 3pm-130am)

Fulfillment Warehouse Associate Part Time - 5th Shift (Fri - Sun 3pm-130am)

Stocking Equipment Operator - Full Time (Friday Through Monday) 4am - 2:30pm

REI

REI reviews

Company ratings over time

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Reviews by job title

Hoping change is for the better.

Think of it as a cult that is transitioning into a business... BIG business.

Nepotism in Misguided Management

Jobs at REI

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