Does ORAU pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, ORAU employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at ORAU. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at ORAU?

60% of ORAU employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated ORAU 3.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.4 for culture and values and 3.9 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at ORAU?

Orise Fellow (12) , Postdoctoral Fellow (12) , ORAU Student Services Contractor, US EPA (9) , Research Associate (8) , Contractor (7) , Postdoctoral Research Associate (7) , ORISE Fellow (Masters Level) (6) , CDC ORISE Fellow (5) , Post Masters Research Associate (5) , Intern (4) , Program Specialist (4) , Research Assistant (4) , Student Services Contractor (4) , Lab Technician (3) , NSSC Contractor (3)

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

"Pay is decent for entry level students" ((in 16 reviews)); "Genuine and nice people." ((in 12 reviews)); "Great opportunities for recent graduates (ranging from those with bachelor's degrees all the way to post" ((in 10 reviews)); "Work life balance was good since you're only allowed to work 40 hours due to the contract." ((in 10 reviews)); "Cutting edge research, great coworkers, exciting environment" ((in 7 reviews))

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

"ORISE is objectively better and no benefits" ((in 36 reviews)); "There is no PTO." ((in 8 reviews)); "Experience is almost completely dependent on host laboratory; management can sometimes be slow on the administrative side" ((in 8 reviews)); "No benefits or paid time off" ((in 8 reviews)); "You don’t have a say or know who you will be contracted to ahead of time, so if you get a bad manager for the project that could result in a negative experience." ((in 5 reviews))

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Grunt work with minimal benefits - ORAU Student Services Contractor, US EPA ORAU Employee Review

2.0

28 Apr 2023

Orau student services contractor, us epa

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Hourly rate was decent for a job fresh out of college; better than service or retail. If you network hard, you might make connections that could help you get a fed job, but don't count on it. Can be a good stepping stone to jobs in government, research, and academia, especially if you have a good mentor.

Cons

Glorified internship. No PTO, very minimal health plan and retirement (likely because they don't expect you to use it. Your experience will depend a lot on the "mentor" you're assigned to -- some will be extremely supportive and nurturing, while others really treat you like their personal assistant. Expect condescension from fed employees (although many are perfectly nice), who have prestige, permanent job security, good benefits.

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5.0

15 May 2026

Communications specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Good contract work with the EPA

Cons

Contract got cut earlier than planned

1.0

3 Jun 2026

Visiting scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

The pros heavily depend on your host facility, program manager and mentor. My mentor is great and allows me lots of freedom to do my work and develop my skills. Depending on your host facility you get to work with federal agencies and potentially get connections for a permanent job.

Cons

We are considered not employed, but a "participant in a program". Our salary is a taxable income. There is no benefits other than an offered health insurance that costs hundreds each month out of your salary for minimal coverage. There is no PTO. You have to ask permission if you want to take a day off or go on a trip. Any problems with the management goes unnoticed and you get told by ORISE to speak to the program manager even if they are the problem.

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Grunt work with minimal benefits - ORAU Student Services Contractor, US EPA ORAU Employee Review

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