Does Defra pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Defra employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.9 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Defra. This rating has improved by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Defra?

67% of Defra employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Defra 4.3 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.7 for culture and values and 3.2 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Defra?

Policy Advisor (46) , Senior Policy Advisor (36) , Project Manager (17) , Economist (11) , Executive Officer (8) , Policy Officer (8) , Assistant Economist (7) , Civil Servant (7) , HEO (7) , Senior Policy Adviser (7) , Deputy Director (5) , Intern (5) , Programmer Manager (5) , Senior Executive Officer (5) , Accountant (4)

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

"Nice people (mostly)" ((in 57 reviews)); "Passionate and friendly colleagues who care about their work and are focused on success of their projects and developing their skillsets." ((in 53 reviews)); "Has good work life balance" ((in 44 reviews)); "good culture fo work flexiblity" ((in 30 reviews)); "Working from home and good pension" ((in 24 reviews))

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

"low pay and quite complex" ((in 33 reviews)); "Low salaries and had to get promotion." ((in 17 reviews)); "Poor career progression" ((in 10 reviews)); "Bad management, your skills are not fully utilised at beginning of your career." ((in 9 reviews)); "No training into the role" ((in 8 reviews))

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Defra

Defra Reviews

Compare reviews

3.6

67% would recommend to a friend

(481 total reviews)

Tamara Finkelstein

67% approve of CEO

59% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.3

Work/Life balance

4.1

Diversity and inclusion

3.7

Culture and values

3.2

Senior management

3.2

Career opportunities

2.9

Compensation and benefits

Defra has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 481 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Defra employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Government and public administration industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

481 reviews

4.0

2 Jun 2026

Interesting projects and friendly people, but unclear progression

Geospatial data scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

- Interesting range of projects - Friendly and helpful people - Flexi-time arrangements

Cons

- Unclear progression paths (in level and pay) - Red tape, bureaucracy in places

5.0

20 Apr 2026

Really enjoyed working here

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Work culture and meaningful work

Cons

Career progression not always clear.

3.0

20 Apr 2026

Ok

Communications specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Nice people and opportunities to move departments

Cons

Lack of diversity at senior level

Viewing 1 - 3 of 481 Reviews

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Interesting projects and friendly people, but unclear progression

Really enjoyed working here

Ok

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