Does Smashburger pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Smashburger employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.6 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Smashburger. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Smashburger?

39% of Smashburger employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Smashburger 2.5 out of 5 for work life balance, 2.8 for culture and values and 2.9 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Smashburger?

General Manager (73) , Cashier (68) , Cook (50) , Assistant Manager (36) , Gse (33) , Guest Service Expert (32) , Shift Leader (29) , Line Cook (27) , Manager (20) , Restaurant General Manager (12) , Front of the House (11) , District Manager (10) , Shift Manager (10) , Server (9) , Front of House (8)

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

"Great people and lots of fun" ((in 50 reviews)); "Flexible hours while in school" ((in 29 reviews)); "free food and the quick work pace kind of feels like a fun game that you have to complete" ((in 20 reviews)); "Some great staff, you get on well as you know how bad it is to work there." ((in 19 reviews)); "It’s a good work environment" ((in 16 reviews))

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

"Bad management and they can underpay you" ((in 64 reviews)); "They pay was low and it was too far" ((in 52 reviews)); "Managers always in position." ((in 32 reviews)); "Terrible upper management." ((in 17 reviews)); "Blatant favoritism." ((in 8 reviews))

What are employees saying about Smashburger layoffs in 2026?

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

What Smashburger locations have received the highest employee ratings?

Tulsa , Washington , New Providence , San Jose , Hicksville , Saint Louis

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Smashburger

Smashburger reviews

3.0

39% would recommend to a friend

(826 total reviews)

Jim Sullivan

13% approve of CEO

26% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.6

Diversity & inclusion

2.9

Career opportunities

2.8

Culture & values

2.7

Senior management

2.6

Compensation and benefits

2.5

Work/Life balance

Smashburger has an employee rating of 3.0 out of 5 stars, based on 826 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Smashburger employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Restaurants & Food Service industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

826 reviews

1.0

Mar 6, 2011

Smashburger is a great business model but management is insulting

Chief financial officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Smashburger is a hyper growth brand and I was able to have exposure to nearly every key decision in the company.

Cons

Senior management ultimately makes all the decisions at Smashburger. Your job is simply to Sheppard the work but no one is given any authority to make any final decisions, ever. Everyone works 10-12 hour days and often works several hours on the weekend leaving no work/life balance.

5.0

May 5, 2016

Outstanding Company and Great Place to Work!!

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I love working for Smashburger and there is no other company out there that can compare to us! Smashburger has rapid growth happening and will continue to grow year after year. We are all about promoting and developing our Team Members and our Managers which is fantastic in this industry!! I also love that we offer a fresh product and a healthy alternative to the fast casual burger industry. This is truly one of the greatest companies to work for!!

Cons

I honestly do not have one negative comment to say about Smashburger. Smashburger truly cares about the people that work for them, offering a quality product and growing the business!

5.0

Oct 9, 2015

Humble beginnings and a bright future

Assistant manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I love the teamwork aspect of working for this company. It brings me great pride when I can get through a really busy stretch because of my team and how they move as one. It's truly humbling.

Cons

I haven't had much free time because of taking care and managing my store but it comes with the territory.

Viewing 4 - 6 of 826 Reviews

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