OK salary, long hours, too many silos - Senior Engineer Visa Inc. Employee Review

2.0
8 July 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Low level managment is typically very talented and cares about employees...Salaray can be more than fair. Some very talented technicians and business side people can be found at ViSA...plus you can learn a lot about the payments industry.

Cons

Mid-level spends too much time involved in low-level operational acivities. Even the most senior techies are not encouraged to take risks, or be rewared for risks. CEO and minions often seem to agree, but mid-level appears to pervert what the CEO wants. Environment is HIGHLY political...and based on banking world circa 1985....don't even think about non-waterfall development Heavy use of project managers, who are often clueless as to which industry they are in. Bonuses seem un-related to actual work performed, and are not doled out by drect management, rather given out by mid-level managers who base performance on "feelings", not work completed.

Explore other reviews about Visa Inc.

5.0
14 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Hiring process was straightforward and smooth.

Cons

Haven't started yet so we will see.

2.0
25 June 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Excellent work-life balance, strong 401(k) match, and generally good benefits. There are smart, hardworking people across the company from all walks of life, and the Visa name still carries weight on a resume.

Cons

The work-life balance comes with a tradeoff: innovation moves at a glacial pace. In my experience, Visa was a highly political organization where visibility and relationships often mattered more than performance. Career growth felt slow, especially for high-performing mid-career employees looking to expand their scope or take ownership. There was constant organizational churn. In two years, I had three managers and made it through multiple reorgs, but our entire team lived in constant fear of ongoing layoffs. Layoffs and restructuring felt far more common than leadership acknowledged, which created a disconnect between company messaging and employee reality. The lack of trust for executive leadership is readily apparent across all internal channels. My org was not particularly valued, compensation lagged the market, and the return-to-office rollout was/continues to be handled poorly and rigidly. If you're looking for stability, predictable work, and reasonable hours, Visa can be a good fit. If you're a high performer looking for speed, creativity, ownership, and growth, there are better places to spend your time (and your paycheck will probably be higher).

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