Does McDonald's pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, McDonald's employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.1 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at McDonald's. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at McDonald's?

60% of McDonald's employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated McDonald's 3.3 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.3 for culture and values and 3.3 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at McDonald's?

Crew Member (31475) , Cashier (19583) , Manager (5032) , Cook (4049) , Line Cook (4040) , Sales Associate/Cashier (3195) , Crew Trainer (3166) , Atendente (2604) , Shift Manager (2466) , Equipier Polyvalent (1851) , Fry Cook (1756) , Server (1663) , Crew Member/Grill Cook (1635) , Crew (1578) , Customer Service (1478)

What are the pros of working at McDonald's according to real employee reviews?

"I got free food on my break and got to customize my meals every day which was fin and tasty" ((in 7533 reviews)); "Flexible hours and can swap shifts with other workers which is very easily to do as there are over 80 employees" ((in 6632 reviews)); "The people there were nice and it was quite easy to learn to execute all the job duties well." ((in 6362 reviews)); "Decent environment and shifts went by quick( easy to learn and most coworkers were nice even though most people would only stay for a month." ((in 3112 reviews)); "Friendly staff that helps show you the ropes so that you learn easier and are more capable to handle the daily challenges." ((in 2417 reviews))

What are the cons of working at McDonald's according to real employee reviews?

"Very busy around peak hours and low pay but that's to be expected at a fast food place" ((in 10193 reviews)); "very hard to get promoted and bad management u only go up if u know people" ((in 6816 reviews)); "managers can be rude and don't work with your request days off unless you keep reminding them" ((in 5336 reviews)); "low salary and pressure when theres a lot of people" ((in 1548 reviews)); "Rushes were pretty hectic and they had us doing so much work for bare people on" ((in 423 reviews))

What are employees saying about McDonald's layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about McDonald's layoffs and their outlook for job security at McDonald's in 2026.

What are the top reviewed McDonald's locations?

Berlin , München , Hamburg , Frankfurt am Main , Köln , Stuttgart , Hannover , Nürnberg , Düsseldorf , Leipzig , Braunschweig , Magdeburg , Heidelberg , Dortmund , Essen , Köln , Wiesbaden , Kassel , Bremen , Mannheim , Dresden , Goslar , Krefeld , Aachen , Bonn , Flensburg , Marburg , Offenbach am Main , Osnabrück , Gießen

McDonald's reviews

3.6

60% would recommend to a friend

(145,220 total reviews)

Chris Kempczinski

71% approve of CEO

50% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (145,220 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

McDonald's has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 145,220 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The McDonald's employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Restaurants & Gastronomie industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

145K reviews

5.0

Aug 19, 2008

Have it your way

Cook

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

free burgers, free fries, and all the delicious chocolate milkshakes that any teenager could ever ask for. I loved waking up everyday and putting on the uniform. I made every one in my family so proud that i had such a great job at such a great american establishment. I was the first one in my family who did not just free load off welfare.

Cons

Everyday I came home smelling like french fries and grease. The only smell worse than that was the stench of the managers when they showed up for work in the morning. Pretty gross working environment.. except for the free burgers!

3.0

Aug 11, 2008

McDonald's, so so

Assistant manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

This place is like the easiest place to get a job. They work with you when it comes to scheduling, so it's a prtty good place to work as a second job, or if you're going to school. Also, since there arent hundreds of employees, and the average restaurant is not that large, you almost become like a family

Cons

Customers walk in the door thinking that all of the employees are idiots because they work at mcdonalds. The benefits are not that great. It also gets very greasy in the back. Another thing is the smell, it seems to take about 2 showers just to geet it off of you. Pay sucks. They also tell you that you get quarterly evaluations and you get raises accordingly. That's a lie.

4.0

Aug 10, 2008

High expectations but great rewards

Assistant store manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

There are lot of growth opportunities, employees get to learn many aspects of the business if they are inclined to. They promote from within. Management communicates often and share feedback with team. Corporation keeps a tight lid on restaurant by performing announced and unannounced inspections. McDonald's also has a mystery shopping program where unknown shoppers come into the locations to evaluate service and cleanliness based on McDonald's requirements. Franchises may have slightly different rules than the McCop Co stores but in general it's basically the same. McDonald's offers fantastic rewards to employees who go the extra miles: cash prizes, trips, gifts, certificates and pins. Many contests are held through the year to increase productivity and maintain morale.

Cons

In the restaurant, managers/staff are on their feet all day. McDonald's rules and policies must be strictly followed. That can become a hassle. Many times customers can be rude and downright impossible but managers must keep a cool head and exceed expectations. Dealing with high turnover in the restaurants can put a lot of stress on managers who must figure out a way to keep service at a high levels regardless of staff count. Another downside can be minimal increases at review times, especially if organization is not meeting their numbers. Customers who complain unecessarily do not realize the strain put on the team.

Viewing 145126 - 145128 of 145,220 Reviews

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McDonald's

McDonald's reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Have it your way

McDonald's, so so

High expectations but great rewards

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