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 181 reviews)); "The people were great and everyone wants to help you succeed." ((in 139 reviews)); "Very colourful and vibrant office; has a pulp shelf offering free books" ((in 92 reviews)); "Great team and colleagues" ((in 65 reviews)); "Work life balance is good" ((in 51 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 25 reviews)); "Career progression is slow." ((in 13 reviews)); "Compensation is low in publishing generally and lack of progression" ((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.

Penguin Random House reviews

3.9

73% would recommend to a friend

(1,192 total reviews)

Nihar Malaviya

83% approve of CEO

71% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (1,192 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 1,192 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

Aug 1, 2013

Depending on the group you work in, you can write your own ticket

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Lots of free books (great for readers), incredible amount of vacation days and other great perks, made more friends than I can count on two hands, great work-life balance.

Cons

Pay is on the lower end, but not as low as many companies in publishing. Raises don't really offer much more money. Also, colleagues have complained about not being empowered by senior management to make decisions. There can be a lot of red tape, and waiting around for approval, depending on where you work in the company.

3.0

Jul 8, 2026

Consistent pay and supportive for disabilities, but accountability issues

Warehouse packer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

7-3 straight with overtime consistent pay -while the work is repetitive even for factory work they don't push you for nothing and almost everyone pitches in and gets the work done when and where it's needed. There is usually ample overtime though from time to time it's slow able to help with disabilities -I came in with an undiagnosed disability that I didn't realize would impair my ability in my chosen position until I got there, they were incredibly kind and allowed me a few more changed in positions until I was able to find one that fit.

Cons

inability to hold others accountable -occasionally people become comfortable in a role and refuse to change or if it benefits them will make the work harder/slower than it needs to be, management does little other than say an announcement and then shrug its shoulders.

3.0

Jul 3, 2026

Work from home benefits overshadowed by low pay in MD

Customer service representative

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Work from home, Paid time off,

Cons

The pay is awful in MD. If you work in another State expect to have your pay adjusted by thousands yearly..every other year? Not sure why, but lucky them. If you start entry level work for PRH in NY expect your salary to be $55K on day 1. Thats more than folks in MD make after working here for 10 yrs. By thousands. Our corporate office loves to send out a company wide email announcing the big raises for everyone but us. Imagine how we feel in MD seeing that!! MD our raises are 3% . We are important to this company, but not compensated fairly.

Viewing 364 - 366 of 1,192 Reviews

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