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 ?

75% 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 198 reviews)); "The people were great and everyone wants to help you succeed." ((in 133 reviews)); "Very colourful and vibrant office; has a pulp shelf offering free books" ((in 89 reviews)); "Great team and colleagues" ((in 70 reviews)); "Work life balance is good" ((in 44 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 138 reviews)); "Poor management and can be improved" ((in 31 reviews)); "Lack of diversity and inclusivity." ((in 25 reviews)); "You can get a great manager and be the happiest on earth." ((in 14 reviews)); "Compensation is low in publishing generally and lack of progression" ((in 14 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

3.9

75% would recommend to a friend

(1,188 total reviews)

Nihar Malaviya

87% approve of CEO

73% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.0

Culture & values

3.8

Diversity & inclusion

3.7

Work/Life balance

3.5

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

4.0

Apr 15, 2014

Fun job with great coworkers and free books, but with low pay

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Colleagues are very friendly and down-to-earth, and everyone genuinely cares about the company, their jobs, and the books we all work to produce. There are usually lots of free books available on take-shelves throughout the offices and you get a great discount on books you have to buy. Great time-off policies, and decent healthcare benefits.

Cons

Deadlines can be a little hard at times, and interdepartmental communications leave a lot to be desired. The low wages make it difficult to live in New York City.

4.0

Apr 11, 2014

fantastic place

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits, fantastic and professional support from HR. Like another reviewer said, your experience is really defined by your division - I've loved working here. The best thing about RH is that they're very open about changing into another division/role - they want to support the growth of your career.

Cons

Publishing is very linear. You will rise up in a very expected manner. No cutting in line or unexpected jumps.

2.0

Mar 30, 2014

A Great Corporate Culture Destroyed by a Merger

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

When I first came to Penguin, I was extremely happy with the culture. Everyone was working together and pulling in the same direction.

Cons

Once Random House took over, the Penguin way of doing everything went out the window, even in cases where it clearly outperformed the Random House way. Morale at Penguin is down throughout the company as Random House dismantles everything that made Penguin great.

Viewing 1168 - 1170 of 1,188 Reviews

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Fun job with great coworkers and free books, but with low pay

fantastic place

A Great Corporate Culture Destroyed by a Merger

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