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

5.0

Jan 27, 2016

Warm and friendly, though bureaucratic

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The culture is friendly and collegial across many departments. There is a real sense of community. People are welcoming towards newcomers and generally willing to help each other out. It's a great place to start a career and pick up a well-rounded skill set.

Cons

Starting salaries are low, though competitive for the industry. Some departments can be slow to promote, even compared to other companies. As with many companies of its size, PRH can sometimes be annoyingly bureaucratic (this has become more true after the merger between Penguin and Random House).

4.0

Jan 27, 2016

Great opportunity

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great work culture, everyone is very friendly and social. Lots of free books, solid benefits, and the work is really rewarding. You'll learn a lot about the publishing business, make great contacts, and have plenty of networking opportunities. The company's internal learning program is also really helpful if you're interested in learning new technical skills.

Cons

Limited room for career advancement, and the pay isn't great -- hey, that's publishing.

4.0

Jan 21, 2016

Marketing Assistant

Marketing assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I had applied for another position that I didn't get, and the HR recruiter reached out to me about a new position that hadn't been listed yet. Overall, she was extremely helpful. This was when the company had just merged with another, and she was very frank about my concerns. I interviewed with HR, then with an associate director, then finally with the Director of Marketing. Overall, it was a very fast process and it was under a week between my first interview and the offer.

Cons

It's publishing, so it doesn't pay very well, though the starting salary is above other publishers. Otherwise, the company has a great culture, and great benefits, vacation, etc.

Viewing 334 - 336 of 1,191 Reviews

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