Does Outward Bound pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Outward Bound employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.9 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Outward Bound. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Outward Bound?

69% of Outward Bound employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Outward Bound 2.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.3 for culture and values and 3.3 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Outward Bound?

Instructor (27) , Assistant Instructor (5) , Field Instructor (5) , Logistics Coordinator (5) , Lead Instructor (4) , Outdoor Instructor (4) , Course Director (2)

What are the pros of working at Outward Bound according to real employee reviews?

"instructors are great people" ((in 13 reviews)); "Amazing culture and people." ((in 6 reviews)); "Staff trainings, beautiful course areas" ((in 5 reviews)); "Adventurous life, interesting students and colleagues" ((in 5 reviews)); "Get to work with wonderful, smart, ambitious coworkers in a very community" ((in 4 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Outward Bound according to real employee reviews?

"Low pay and high turnover" ((in 24 reviews)); "Low salary" ((in 4 reviews)); "Entrenched management here make any changes impossible, and they also suffer from their roles, working far too much and in positions which they have no business entangling themselves." ((in 3 reviews)); "Benefits are minimal and job stability isn't guaranteed" ((in 3 reviews))

Skip to content Skip to footer

Notifications

Outward Bound

Outward Bound Reviews

3.8

69% would recommend to a friend

(94 total reviews)

Steve Matous

97% approve of CEO

49% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.3

Culture and values

3.9

Diversity and inclusion

3.3

Career opportunities

3.0

Senior management

2.9

Work/Life balance

2.9

Compensation and benefits

Outward Bound has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 94 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Outward Bound employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

94 reviews

4.0

21 Feb 2026

Really cool company

Instructor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Awesome logistical support for instructors, really cool course areas, good community

Cons

Base camp can be uncomfortable

Outward Bound Response

3mo

Thank you for the feedback! We are glad your experience at Outward Bound California was good!

5.0

17 Feb 2026

Work

Sr. manager, operations

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Outdoor and friendly environment to work

Cons

Unpredictable work hours and can be very tiring

5.0

2 Feb 2026

Great place to work with great values

Instructor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

I loved working here. The work/life balance is healthy, the people have good hearts, and the mission is strong. You also get room/board while you are working there. As you move up housing becomes more limited though.

Cons

Not a lot of room for growth in career. The pay isn’t great but it makes sense for what it is. There isn’t a health insurance benefit but you can get insurance from the state.

Outward Bound Response

3mo

Thank you for your review! We are so glad that you enjoyed working with Philadelphia Outward Bound School. Our mission is powerful - thank you for your service in delivering it!

Viewing 1 - 3 of 94 Reviews

Jobs at Outward Bound

Challenge Course Facilitator

Philadelphia, PA

View job

Expedition & Challenge Course Instructor

Baltimore, MD

USD 38K - USD 52K /yr

(Glassdoor Est.)

View job

Sr. Major Gifts Manager

United States

USD 72K - USD 84K /yr

(Employer provided)

View job

Safety and Program Director

United States

USD 115K - USD 135K /yr

(Employer provided)

View job