Does University of Cambridge pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, University of Cambridge employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.4 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at University of Cambridge. This rating has improved by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at University of Cambridge?

86% of University of Cambridge employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated University of Cambridge 4.1 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.2 for culture and values and 3.9 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at University of Cambridge?

PhD Student (359) , Research Associate (296) , Research Assistant (199) , Postdoctoral Research Associate (154) , Graduate Student (61) , Senior Research Associate (46) , Postdoctoral Researcher (41) , Postdoctoral Fellow (40) , Researcher (39) , PhD Candidate (36) , PhD Researcher (29) , Administrator (28) , Phd Student Researcher (24) , PhD Graduate Student (23) , Project Manager (22)

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

"great people and inspiring ideas" ((in 172 reviews)); "Great colleagues and inspiring research" ((in 124 reviews)); "Good pension and holidays" ((in 57 reviews)); "Great facilities and network to do research" ((in 56 reviews)); "Good work life balance where you can do your hours and finish for the day." ((in 54 reviews))

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

"Low salaries in comparison to the rest of Cambridge and for what is expected of your role." ((in 241 reviews)); "No career progression without a PhD" ((in 54 reviews)); "poor management and divide and rule tactics have driven most staff to leave their jobs" ((in 33 reviews)); "Long hours and a lot of dedication highly likely but it's the place to be if you want to succeed in academia." ((in 25 reviews)); "Pay is not ideal and PhD supervisors can be lacking" ((in 18 reviews))

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University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge reviews about "low salary"

68% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.2

Culture and values

4.2

Diversity and inclusion

4.1

Work/Life balance

3.9

Career opportunities

3.7

Senior management

3.4

Compensation and benefits

Reviews by job title

347 reviews

5.0

22 Jan 2026

Great benefits

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Great team and benefits, lovely work environment

Cons

Salaries are not high and it is hard to get a raise

5.0

18 Mar 2026

Amazing institution

Associate professor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

I love it here. Amazing people and an extremely vibrant academic environment. Also a great city to live in. I have been a part of many institutions over my career and am happy to say that Cambridge is my favourite.

Cons

Nothing really. Cambridge is a magical place. I would not mind a higher salary, but that is an issue with academia in general. It's very much worth it.

4.0

14 Nov 2025

No professional progress

Research associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Nice atmosphere and the work is amazing

Cons

The salary doesn't increase If you stay in the same department. It means people just started will have better salary than you.

5.0

9 Mar 2026

Cutting Edge Research

Research associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Cutting Edge Research, Great Network of experts

Cons

The salary is very low.

5.0

26 May 2026

Enriching academic environment, but low pay in expensive city

Phd candidate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Great university to do a PhD, especially as an international. Being part of the college system is very enriching as one can meet people from any discipline and make connections that would otherwise be very unlikely.

Cons

Salary is very low and Cambridge is very expensive

4.0

15 Mar 2026

Good people

Research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Great people, world-leaders in biological sciences

Cons

Low salaries compared to increasing number of industry jobs in Cambridge

5.0

29 Dec 2025

PhD Student at Cambridge

Phd student

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Top university in europe with many opportunities

Cons

Lower salary in comparison with other universities

4.0

11 May 2026

Brilliant team and benefits but slow salary growth

Communications officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Brilliant hard working team, good staff benefits

Cons

Salary growth slow in line with public sector

4.0

17 Dec 2025

cambridge postdoc salary

Postdoctoral research associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Its research environment is good

Cons

Salary is a littlt bit low

3.0

22 Mar 2026

Underpaid

Postdoctoral research associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Interesting science, lovely location, som nice prople

Cons

Very low salary for the expertise you bring as a postdoc

Viewing 1 - 3 of 347 Reviews

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University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge reviews about "low salary"

Ratings by category

Reviews by job title

Great benefits

Amazing institution

No professional progress

Cutting Edge Research

Enriching academic environment, but low pay in expensive city

Good people

PhD Student at Cambridge

Brilliant team and benefits but slow salary growth

cambridge postdoc salary

Underpaid

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