Does Second City pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Second City employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.2 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Second City. This rating has improved by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Second City?

42% of Second City employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Second City 3.0 out of 5 for work life balance, 2.8 for culture and values and 2.2 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Second City?

Host (9) , Server (7) , Bartender (6) , Customer Service Representative (CSR) (4) , Stage Manager (4) , Actor/Performer (3) , Faculty (3) , Instructor (3) , Box Office Manager (2) , Director (2) , Hostess (2) , Intern (2) , Night Staff (2) , Project Manager (2) , Server/Waiter (2)

What are the pros of working at Second City according to real employee reviews?

"Great People and easy to work with" ((in 17 reviews)); "Flexible hours and good for meeting people in the theatre and comedy community." ((in 6 reviews)); "Fun, enjoyable staff and general vibe." ((in 6 reviews)); "Also great coworkers who know how to have a good time." ((in 5 reviews)); "The culture is changing for the better." ((in 4 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Second City according to real employee reviews?

"Low Pay and Abuse Employees" ((in 12 reviews)); "poor management" ((in 11 reviews)); "Leadership has changed drastically through the years" ((in 3 reviews)); "No benefits, not always a ton of hours to be had, the company does not make this team a priority, not a ton of support during evening performances, guidelines can sometimes be unclear." ((in 3 reviews))

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Second City

Second City Reviews

3.1

42% would recommend to a friend

(107 total reviews)

Steve Johnston

15% approve of CEO

21% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.3

Diversity and inclusion

3.0

Work/Life balance

2.8

Culture and values

2.2

Compensation and benefits

2.2

Career opportunities

2.1

Senior management

Second City has an employee rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars, based on 107 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Second City employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Arts, entertainment and recreation industry (3.9 stars).

Reviews by job title

107 reviews

4.0

31 Oct 2025

Employer Review

Faculty

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

They are great with communication and continuing education.

Cons

The hourly rate is less than what most theaters in Chicago would pay for faculty.

4.0

17 Sept 2025

Always a laugh

Box office manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Everyone has a “yes and” attitude

Cons

Not a great living wage in a big city

4.0

14 Sept 2025

For a fun time, not a long time

Server/bartender

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Fun, enjoyable staff and general vibe. It does get hectic (all nightlife hospitality does) but the treatment of employees is 10/10 and you'll never have a serving job quite like this one

Cons

They do split tips, and everything is a bit unorganized. Again, par for the course in this industry, but if you want uncomplicated money, I would say bartend on your own at a regular restaurant

Viewing 1 - 3 of 107 Reviews

Jobs at Second City

USD 47K - USD 67K /yr

(Glassdoor Est.)

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Maintenance Technician - Corporate Administration

Senior Client Partner - Sales & Sales Ops

Chicago, IL

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