Fermilab Reviews

3.3

52% would recommend to a friend

(227 total reviews)
avatar

Nigel Lockyer

47% approve of CEO

37% positive business outlook

Fermilab has an employee rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars, based on 227 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Fermilab employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Government and public administration industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

227 reviews
4.0
25 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

flexible work arrangement, decent benefits.

Cons

Not all work environments at the lab are nice. Some buildings are very run-down and seem not to be well-maintained. Though new engineering buildings are very nice, and some parts of the main high-rise have been remodeled and are very nice. The cafeteria is terrible.

2.0
30 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

It is a place with strong potential, good technical infrastructure, and a beautiful natural setting. It offers a diverse mix of people and professions, and it typically provides more stability and flexibility than industry, along with a fair salary.

Cons

Professionals outside the physics discipline are often not given full recognition as subject-matter experts in their own fields and are frequently overridden by individuals in senior or privileged positions. In many cases, decisions are driven more by influence, convenience, or personal preference than by operational needs or technical best practices. As a result, non-physicist professionals may be relegated to routine or less desirable tasks, while higher-visibility projects and decision-making responsibilities are concentrated elsewhere. Basicaly non-physicist professionals are hired to support or maintain systems that were implemented without sufficient planning or domain expertise, leaving significant room for improvement. This dynamic can lead to underutilization of specialized talent, reduced efficiency, operational challenges, frustration among staff, and, over time, burnout. Definitively not a good place to work for non-physicist professionals. NOTE: The actual CEO is Norbert Holtkamp

3.0
23 Apr 2026

Good not great

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

A good place to work

Cons

Lots of changes happening. Could be good long-term, but chaotic in the short-term

Viewing 1 - 3 of 227 Reviews

Glassdoor has 333 Fermilab reviews submitted anonymously by Fermilab employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Fermilab is right for you.