Is REI a good company to work for?

REI has an overall rating of 3.6 out of 5, based on over 4,508 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 been stable over the past 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 (462) , Retail Sales Associate (327) , Retail Sales Specialist (179) , Sales Lead (151) , Customer Service Specialist (109) , Customer Service Representative (103) , Cashier (49) , Sales Associate/Cashier (37) , 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 468 reviews)); "Coworkers are great and the general technical acumen is high." ((in 352 reviews)); "Great benefits and discounts." ((in 340 reviews)); "REI has a great culture for those who are or want to be involved with the outdoors." ((in 195 reviews)); "Great work life balance is great." ((in 138 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 383 reviews)); "Bad management and not much growth" ((in 255 reviews)); "Some managers don't appreciate hard work and favor employees who make them feel liked." ((in 116 reviews)); "Long hours and difficult to have a consistent schedule" ((in 102 reviews)); "Company direction is lost and too many layoffs." ((in 30 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 , Austin , San Francisco , 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

(4,369 total reviews)

Mary Beth Laughton

35% approve of CEO

34% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

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REI has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 4,369 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

2.0

Apr 20, 2013

Loosing their values at break neck speed...

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great product benefits, good benefits in other areas. Some really good employees in working levels at Headquarters where I worked.

Cons

Changing to a high pressure, disrespectful and selfish management team, in general, though there are still some great caring managers. Extreme inconsistencies from department to department. Out dated equipment at retail stores.

2.0

Apr 18, 2013

I was micromanaged and given < 10 hrs. per week.

Sales associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

You will get amazing prodeals on gear and equipment. Your co-workers are outdoor enthusiasts and will be cool.

Cons

You will have to fight management to get more hours. I personally felt micro-managed and was even watched from the managers room while overloaded and then chewed out for not keeping up instead of being helped by the manager. Pay is low.

2.0

Apr 17, 2013

Great job...until you realize there's more out there

Store manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The benefits are great, the time off is quite flexible, and you work with amazing people who will teach you everything you want to know about the outdoors.

Cons

You have to sell your soul. They do a great job of pretending to the outside world to espouse values that they pay Fortune magazine to make it sound like they uphold, while trampling on those values and devaluing the people who work for them. Internally they also do a great job of making you think there's nowhere better to work. It's true it's a trade-off - flexible scheduling traded for weekends off and knowing you'll see your family for dinner and holidays; great healthcare traded for a livable wage; kowtowing to 20-something inexperienced "managers" traded for accountability and responsibility and being respected for your hard work and knowledge.

Viewing 4129 - 4131 of 4,369 Reviews

Jobs at REI

Sr. Manager of Construction

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Loosing their values at break neck speed...

I was micromanaged and given < 10 hrs. per week.

Great job...until you realize there's more out there

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