Does SAE Institute pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, SAE Institute employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.8 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at SAE Institute. This rating has decreased by 5% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at SAE Institute?

52% of SAE Institute employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated SAE Institute 3.3 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.2 for culture and values and 2.8 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at SAE Institute?

Lecturer (22) , Instructor (11) , Adjunct Instructor (8) , Supervisor (7) , Adjunct Professor (6) , Audio Engineer (4) , Cst (3) , Docente (3) , Graduate Student (3) , Head Instructor (3) , Manager (3) , Senior Lecturer (3) , Student Ambassador (3) , Teacher (3) , 3D Modeling Artist (2)

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

"People have been great to work with" ((in 27 reviews)); "Great colleagues and concept of schooling." ((in 13 reviews)); "Great staff and faculty who work hard towards student success" ((in 11 reviews)); "The institution has a lot of passionate people and a strong culture." ((in 8 reviews)); "Great environment to meet people." ((in 6 reviews))

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

"bad management" ((in 19 reviews)); "High expectations for performance with low pay." ((in 11 reviews)); "SAE's salaries are low and could be better." ((in 8 reviews)); "Bad communication, unrealistic deadlines and pressure, not paid enough for the amount of work put on the staff, understaffed." ((in 8 reviews)); "Upper management is clueless." ((in 7 reviews))

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SAE Institute Reviews

3.5

52% would recommend to a friend

(229 total reviews)

Scott Jones

60% approve of CEO

44% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.5

Diversity and inclusion

3.3

Work/Life balance

3.2

Culture and values

2.8

Senior management

2.8

Compensation and benefits

2.8

Career opportunities

SAE Institute has an employee rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, based on 229 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The SAE Institute 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

229 reviews

5.0

10 Jan 2026

Great Place to Work

Program coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

It's an amazing place to work, with lots of support and great colleagues, and good bosses and management as well.

Cons

There are no cons working here.

1.0

29 Nov 2025

Constant blame for management errors

Games programming lecturer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Correct type of job I wanted

Cons

Disorganised Get the blame for things not my responsibility Management keeps changing mind on duties

2.0

10 Nov 2025

Dishonest about pay

Hourly paid lecturer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

The students are a very mixed bunch, because there are no admissions criteria, but they're fun.

Cons

Hourly Paid Lecturers are required to do many hours of unpaid work, preparing lectures, attending meetings and communicating with students. None of this is communicated in the job adverts or the interview. They make excuses, claiming the problem is industry-wide, but they are unashamed in their continuation of the practice and their exploitation of well-meaning staff. Dishonesty is at the heart of their recruitment strategy.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 229 Reviews

Jobs at SAE Institute

Speech Communication Adjunct Instructor

Admissions Representative - Bilingual Spanish/English

North Miami Beach, FL

$41K - $57K /yr

(Glassdoor Est.)

View job

Audio Engineer - Adjunct Instructor

Art History Instructor