Does Penguin Random House pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Penguin Random House employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.3 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Penguin Random House . This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Penguin Random House ?

73% of Penguin Random House employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Penguin Random House 3.7 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.0 for culture and values and 3.4 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Penguin Random House ?

Editorial Assistant (50) , Editor (33) , Intern (29) , Editorial Intern (25) , Publicity Assistant (22) , Designer (21) , Marketing Assistant (20) , Publicity Intern (15) , Assistant Editor (13) , Director (13) , Senior Designer (13) , Manager (12) , Graphic Designer (11) , Marketing Coordinator (11) , Author (10)

What are the pros of working at Penguin Random House according to real employee reviews?

"Great benefit as well as perks" ((in 190 reviews)); "The people were great and everyone wants to help you succeed." ((in 136 reviews)); "Very colourful and vibrant office; has a pulp shelf offering free books" ((in 88 reviews)); "Great team and colleagues" ((in 62 reviews)); "Great work/life balance" ((in 50 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Penguin Random House according to real employee reviews?

"Pay was low and that was about it" ((in 141 reviews)); "Poor management and can be improved" ((in 30 reviews)); "Lack of diversity and inclusivity." ((in 22 reviews)); "Long hours running into weekends" ((in 15 reviews)); "You can get a great manager and be the happiest on earth." ((in 15 reviews))

What are employees saying about Penguin Random House layoffs in 2026?

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

Penguin Random House reviews

3.9

73% would recommend to a friend

(1,191 total reviews)

Nihar Malaviya

83% approve of CEO

71% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (1,191 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Penguin Random House has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 1,191 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Penguin Random House employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Audiovisual y medios de comunicación industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

1K reviews

3.0

Sep 17, 2016

Overworked and in upheaval, but not alone

Associate editor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Everyone is amazing, such a welcoming and warm group - like family Exciting projects and talented authors Open door policy with higher-ups West Village adjacent location is wonderful - so many lunch choices!! (Too bad they are moving the office to midtown in 3 years)

Cons

Layoffs have caused distrust and feelings of helplessness People rarely say what needs to be said about issues with poor management Overwhelming workload with no overtime pay

4.0

Aug 10, 2016

Editorial Assistant

Editorial assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good work-life balance and benefits. The option to have summer hours is amazing, as is their generous vacation policy. Great access to loads of free books. The company culture depends on whether you work at Penguin or Random House. Penguin is a bit more casual, while Random House is definitely more corporate. Both are fun environments to work in, and everyone (literally) is always willing to lend a hand to get a book out on time or answer questions you have. We're all trying to help each other make the best books possible, and it shows.

Cons

Salaries could be a little higher, but hey, it's publishing. Promotions don't happen all that often, at least in editorial.

4.0

Aug 9, 2016

It used to be good. Then we merged.

Editorial assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits. Free books if you're into that sort of thing. Lots of opportunity to do community outreach - and they match charity donations.

Cons

No opportunities for growth. Severe cutbacks and lay offs.

Viewing 325 - 327 of 1,191 Reviews

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