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 138 reviews)); "Very colourful and vibrant office; has a pulp shelf offering free books" ((in 93 reviews)); "Great team and colleagues" ((in 62 reviews)); "Work life balance is good" ((in 45 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 130 reviews)); "Poor management and can be improved" ((in 31 reviews)); "Lack of diversity and inclusivity." ((in 29 reviews)); "long hours which lead to no life" ((in 15 reviews)); "Pay rises and career progression is slow" ((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

(1,190 total reviews)

Nihar Malaviya

83% approve of CEO

71% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (1,190 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 1,190 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 Mídia e comunicação industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

1K reviews

5.0

Jan 25, 2017

Work Experience at Penguin

Anonymous employee

Recommend

Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing teams, with great people. Encourage you to ask questions and learn from them. Requires a proactive mind which they respond to with more tasks and responsibility. The more you put in the more you get out of it! Overall a great experience and insight into publishing.

Cons

unpaid, except for expenses, but as the stints are two-three weeks long, you can save up a bit so you can get through them. Tricky if you have to pay rent in London.

4.0

Jan 17, 2017

Managing Editorial

Anonymous employee

Recommend

Business Outlook

Pros

Penguin Random House is a great place to build your publishing career. The benefits (vacation, insurance, summer Fridays, free books) are wonderful, and salary is competitive (for publishing).

Cons

The culture is markedly different than in other publishing houses here. People tend to eat lunch at their desks, and just work silently - not a lot of camaraderie, but it depends on the group you are in. Promotions don't happen as quickly as in other houses. My experience with management wasn't great.

3.0

Jan 12, 2017

Sales Assistant

Anonymous employee

Recommend

Business Outlook

Pros

PRH is a good company overall. I only worked on the Young Readers Sales side so can't speak for other departments. The benefits were excellent and HR was responsive to needs.

Cons

I only worked on the Young Readers Sales side so can't speak for other departments. On our side management was not very supportive. The hours were long and they base pay was low with no commission or bonus until you got to a certain level.

Viewing 1036 - 1038 of 1,190 Reviews

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

The Business Year

3.5★Compensation & Benefits