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 decreased by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Penguin Random House ?

72% 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) , Designer (21) , Publicity Assistant (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 197 reviews)); "The people were great and everyone wants to help you succeed." ((in 135 reviews)); "Very colourful and vibrant office; has a pulp shelf offering free books" ((in 85 reviews)); "Great team and colleagues" ((in 64 reviews)); "Work life balance is good" ((in 46 reviews))

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

"The pay is low and raises are below the inflation rate regardless of company performance." ((in 137 reviews)); "Poor management and can be improved" ((in 28 reviews)); "Lack of diversity and inclusivity." ((in 26 reviews)); "long hours which lead to no life" ((in 14 reviews)); "Little to no upward mobility; toxic and ineffective upper management; unlivable wages; sexism and racism throughout even if they cosplay as a progressive and fair company" ((in 13 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.

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Penguin Random House

Penguin Random House reviews

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3.9

72% would recommend to a friend

(1,188 total reviews)

Nihar Malaviya

81% approve of CEO

70% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.0

Culture & values

3.8

Diversity & inclusion

3.7

Work/Life balance

3.4

Senior management

3.4

Career opportunities

3.3

Compensation and benefits

Penguin Random House has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 1,188 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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

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Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

1K reviews

2.0

Jun 11, 2020

😕

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good benefits and work-life balance

Cons

Low salary, lack of upward mobility, lack of POC & bias with promotions. POC have to work two, three times as hard to receive a fraction of the praise & pay. Different divisions/publishing houses can be divisive & snobbish.

5.0

Nov 8, 2019

Great company culture, problematic managers

Assistant production editor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The company culture is great and it feels very much like the company actually cares about its employees.

Cons

Publishing as a whole is a low-pay industry, but it feels extra insulting when working at the top publishing house in the world still doesn't pay you enough to live comfortably in NYC. Many divisions are run by bad managers that have been with the company for many years and are unwilling to change and adapt to new policies and technologies.

1.0

May 9, 2017

Wise after the event

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

A well-known brand so good to have on your cv. Good benefits. If you're happy to just turn up for work and be paid, then you'll probably be alright.

Cons

They invented "silo" working. Pay is not competitive. There is a Them and Us culture which exists at the different UK sites and between London offices. Don't expect a long-term stay. There are a lot of contract workers which does not enhance either morale or team-working. Everyone is watching their back.

Viewing 31 - 33 of 1,188 Reviews

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😕

Great company culture, problematic managers

Wise after the event

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