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

3.6

67% would recommend to a friend

(480 total reviews)

Tamara Finkelstein

67% approve of CEO

59% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.3

Work/Life balance

4.1

Diversity & inclusion

3.7

Culture & 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 480 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 & Public Administration industry (3.6 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

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Disability

Parent or family caregiver

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Reviews by job title

480 reviews

5.0

Apr 20, 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

Apr 20, 2026

Ok

Communications specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Nice people and opportunities to move departments

Cons

Lack of diversity at senior level

4.0

Apr 11, 2026

Great Place

Data protection

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

great place and team, great organisation, flexible, no micro managing, respectful,

Cons

low pay and quite complex Need to train staff

Viewing 1 - 3 of 480 Reviews

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Jobs at Defra

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£35K - £41K /yr

(Employer provided)

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Director General, Strategy and Change

Newcastle upon Tyne, England

£130K - £150K /yr

(Employer provided)

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Newcastle upon Tyne, England

£43K - £50K /yr

(Employer provided)

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Aquarium Services Systems Technician

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