NCARB Reviews

3.0

56% would recommend to a friend

(40 total reviews)

Michael J. Armstrong

53% approve of CEO

59% positive business outlook

NCARB has an employee rating of 3.0 out of 5 stars, based on 40 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The NCARB employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Non-profit and NGO industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

40 reviews
2.0
30 Jun 2025

Renewal fees

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good certification program for architects

Cons

NCARB Certification Reactivation: OK to pay the $305 reactivation fee, but forcing to pay who knows how many past years' fees for the inactive time? That's EXTORSION!!! NCARB forces architects to stay and pay the already pricey $293 annual renewal fee (starting August 1, 2025). The engineers' counterpart, NCEES, does not even charge a penny to maintain certifications. Engineers don't need to renew, since there are not renewals nor renewal fees! Instead, NCEES only charges when engineers transmit their records to other licensing boards, and those fees are quite reasonable.

1.0
4 Jun 2025

All Aboard the Dysfunction Express

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There are no Pros that I can think of.

Cons

If you have a high tolerance for confusion, stress, and low morale, then maybe this is the place for you HOWEVER most would be disappointed. NCARB recently went through a chaotic and poorly executed “re-org” where some employees were told they lost their jobs and had to reapply for roles. Leadership showed little regard for the stress and emotional toll their actions caused, while publicly praising themselves for how “well-planned” the re-org was. In the meantime, the employees affected are still expected to do the same work with no transition plan and their new jobs are given to them with no clarity or no real direction. Morale is at an all-time low, and trust in leadership is virtually nonexistent. People are leaving in waves either from resignations or being fired, and those who remain are hanging on out of necessity, not loyalty or satisfaction. The new COO lacks fundamental change management skills, initiatives are rushed, unvetted, and often require multiple reworks. Leadership is inconsistent and driven more by ego and appearances than by strategy or staff well-being. Certain teams, especially Marketing & Communications and Council Relations, are given preferential treatment due to personal ties to the CEO. Meanwhile, teams that bring in the most revenue like Customer Relations are undervalued, overworked, and denied advancement opportunities. The Council Relations team, in particular, has seen extreme turnover, so much so that it’s become an internal red flag. BEWARE of that team! HR is another sore spot, led by someone with no real HR background who makes questionable, and sometimes unethical, decisions that further destabilize the organization. Uncertainty is the norm, and stability feels out of reach. This is not a place where people thrive, it’s a place where people endure.

1.0
26 May 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Decent benefits, work itself is nice, dedicated staff, clean office, and metro accessible.

Cons

NCARB has become a toxic workplace. Leaders are fragile and performative. They are like politicians. Big disconnect between senior leaders and staff. If you want to work at a place where there is a shared sense of community and staff are respected and valued, look elsewhere. Department leaders don’t work well together and you can tell they are barely ever on the same page. The morale in this place is terrible. I’ve been here for years, but if I could do it all over again, I’d think again.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 40 Reviews

Glassdoor has 41 NCARB reviews submitted anonymously by NCARB employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if NCARB is right for you.