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      MIT Lincoln Laboratory

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      MIT Lincoln Laboratory reviews

      Laid back and flexible, but there is little room for growth - Associate Technical Staff MIT Lincoln Laboratory Employee Review

      4.0
      2 Oct 2015
      Associate technical staff
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      There are a lot of smart people with PhDs. If you have a PhD you can write your own job description within the mission of the Lab. You can easily switch projects no matter your level. Very flexible hours in most groups and you get to leave work at work. Work can be interesting, but you have to be self-driven or it can be easy to get bored. It is a great place to experiment with interesting hardware.

      Cons

      Since most of the projects come from the Department of Defense you have to be OK with the results of your work going in that direction. Since Lincoln is small potatoes for the government it is easy for your work to go into some presentation that never goes beyond a low-level government or military official. It can be hard to see your work actually having impact. Turnover is really a problem especially for computer scientists. I would guess the average is under 2 years. It can be really tough to overcome a lack of advanced degree. There are three main researcher positions and these are nominally for bachelor's, master's, and PhD. It requires a lot of luck to get promoted beyond your degree level. It can seem like you get the same minimal raise no matter what you do which promotes ambivalence.

      avatar
      MIT Lincoln Laboratory Response
      10y
      Thank you for your input. We do have a flat organization without a lot of levels. Advanced degrees are valued but we try to focus on the work and the contributions that employees make when considering promotion. I would encourage employees to discuss potential career progression with their management to identify how to best prepare for progress.

      Explore other reviews about MIT Lincoln Laboratory

      5.0
      3 June 2026
      Member of technical staff
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      It can vary a lot from group to group, but in general, wonderful place with wonderful people and lots of interesting work going on. Excellent benefits and lots of flexibility to explore different projects.

      Cons

      Little opportunity for advancement in terms of rank and compensation once you reach technical staff. Additionally (again varies from group to group) expectations of what a staff member does can be unclear and there can be a light sink-or-swim nature to the work, again depending on the group you're in.

      4.0
      17 June 2026
      Member of technical staff
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Worked with some of the smartest people I’ve ever known. Great opportunities to learn from your coworkers and an atmosphere that encourages learning, including a well-run technical education program. Fabulous support staff and technicians that can get seemingly impossible things done quickly. Great resources and lab spaces (if a bit dated). The nature of the work encourages good work/life balance. Fantastic benefits (though the pay is low).

      Cons

      No/limited opportunities for advancement makes this a hard place to work mid-career. Good engineers are promoted to be mediocre managers. Every program is under-funded, under-staffed, and over schedule. Bad managers are shuffled around but rarely fired.

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