Comfortable, but no opportunity for salary increase - Software Engineer IV Oracle Employee Review

3.0
Apr 11, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good work/life balance, freedom to work in office or telecommute as it suits you, stability of a large company.

Cons

Poor compensation. Pathetic vacation policy (13 days PTO for first three years, then 18 days PTO. 8 Holidays. I have yet to find a company whose *starting* vacation+holiday levels do not exceed Oracle's official max holidays. I say "official" because Oracle managers recognize how low this amount of vacation is and, in some cases, will make special arrangements for increased flexibility if your work merits it.) In regards to compensation, what is particularly frustrating is that there is often no opportunity for change to compensation, even if you are getting great feedback on your work and your business unit is doing great. Oracle as a whole has a philosophy that they don't need to give raises because people will stay anyway. Year after year, top level execs give local directors very small or even non-existent raise and bonus pools, so local managers cannot give their employees raises, even if they want to. They tend to use stock options, but not salary, as a means of roping top performers into staying with the company. This lack of salary mobility is very depressing, not only for its affect on your wallet, but because it makes it very difficult to remain motivated when you know that, no matter how good a job you do, you will not be financially rewarded for it. Senior management looks at employees as drones. They truly do not care one iota about employee happiness.

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5.0
Jun 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Plenty of opportunity to earn well over $100,000.00 with Standby pay and OT. Plus, mileage reimbursement of $.70 a mile.

Cons

Sometimes tedious work below what I would consider for an experienced FE such as hard drive destruction bin audits and checking in equipment.

4.0
Oct 21, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Every group/division can be different in how they treat their employees, but I'd say overall there is very good atmosphere of trust and fairness. There is a strong focus on education, and they reimburse for outside classes taken (Up to 5k/year I think). Benefits are good, and I'd say quite competitive in the market. Good 401K matching (they'll contribute a max of 3% of your 6% or greater). Free drinks in the breakroom. Flexibility to work from home at times. (If you live 50+ miles away from an office you can work full-time from home...policy).

Cons

They don't try to make the workplace anything special (maybe a pool table and arcade game are cliche or gimmicky?). In the 10 years I've worked there, they've given 2 measly %1 cost of living raises (this is the same with most everyone I've spoken to, some don't get any raises). You will not get a substantial raise ever, unless you leave then get rehired on (they will not match offers, better to leave). New employees that you train will make 10 - 20K more than you several years after you hire on (not just me, they do this to all tenured employees). They will give these untrained, less experienced people higher titles (again this is done to everyone not just me). You learn pretty quickly that you're dispensable. The company has billions in cash and they don't re-invest in their employees, just in acquiring new companies and hiring new people that know nothing that you get to train.

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