Does Charles River Laboratories pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Charles River Laboratories employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.0 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Charles River Laboratories. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Charles River Laboratories?

48% of Charles River Laboratories employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Charles River Laboratories 3.1 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.2 for culture and values and 3.0 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Charles River Laboratories?

Lab Technician (78) , Scientist (68) , Animal Care Technician (65) , Research Technician (55) , Analyst (51) , Technician (51) , Research Associate (46) , Research Scientist (42) , Supervisor (37) , Research Assistant (36) , Laboratory Technician (31) , Study Director (27) , Project Manager (25) , Manager (22) , Associate Scientist (20)

What are the pros of working at Charles River Laboratories according to real employee reviews?

"The ability to move around within the company is relatively good and the benefits are good." ((in 238 reviews)); "Great people you work with and a relatively easy job with very easy to understand ladder to climb." ((in 170 reviews)); "good work life balance to an extent" ((in 65 reviews)); "Flexible hours (ad hoc) are a nice perq for those who have to juggle family responsibilities and/or a long commute." ((in 41 reviews)); "Very interesting place to work and colleagues are great" ((in 41 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Charles River Laboratories according to real employee reviews?

"sites are disorganized and pay is low" ((in 176 reviews)); "Management is poor and people who are in charge lack knowledge of CDMO" ((in 162 reviews)); "The low salary also makes it hard to subsequently ask for more at another company." ((in 112 reviews)); "no training on GMP." ((in 36 reviews)); "upper management is awful, lots of work to do which overwhelms people easily." ((in 33 reviews))

What are employees saying about Charles River Laboratories layoffs in 2026?

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

What Charles River Laboratories locations have received the highest employee ratings?

Washington , Kalamazoo , Wilmington , Cleveland , Charleston , Skokie , Bethesda , Boston

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Charles River Laboratories

Charles River Laboratories reviews

3.1

48% would recommend to a friend

(2,364 total reviews)

Birgit Girshick

69% approve of CEO

31% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.7

Diversity & inclusion

3.2

Culture & values

3.1

Work/Life balance

3.0

Compensation and benefits

3.0

Career opportunities

2.7

Senior management

Charles River Laboratories has an employee rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars, based on 2,364 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Charles River Laboratories employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology industry (3.5 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

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Parent or family caregiver

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Reviews by job title

2K reviews

5.0

Apr 1, 2026

great place to work

Research analyst

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

great place to work !

Cons

no cons at crl !

Charles River Laboratories Response

Thank you for your positive feedback. We’re glad to hear you’re having a great experience and appreciate your contributions to our culture.

4.0

Jun 8, 2026

Supportive management but cross-team interactions lacking

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

+ Supportive management + Somehat of a “family feel” environment for most staff + Clear guidance

Cons

- A lot of younger new starters who don’t interact as much with older staff from other departments. Cross team considerations? - Current work load fluctuates last minute

4.0

Jun 2, 2026

Supportive department with low pay and mixed experiences

Inhalation scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The department I worked in was fantastic, hugely supportive and had the opportunity to perform research, kept things interesting

Cons

I was fortunate for the inhalation team but there were other departments less good, the salary was a bit on the low side

Viewing 1 - 3 of 2,364 Reviews

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great place to work

Supportive management but cross-team interactions lacking

Supportive department with low pay and mixed experiences

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