Does The British Library pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, The British Library employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.9 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at The British Library. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at The British Library?

52% of The British Library employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated The British Library 4.1 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.5 for culture and values and 2.5 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at The British Library?

Library Assistant (11) , Conservator (5) , Librarian (5) , IT Specialist (3) , Leading Library Assistant (3) , Manager (3) , Project Manager (3) , Senior Imaging Technician (3) , Curator (2) , Customer Service (2) , Finance (2) , HR Advisor (2) , Human Resources (2) , Intern (2) , Operations (2)

What are the pros of working at The British Library according to real employee reviews?

"Some of the people are great" ((in 19 reviews)); "Excellent pension scheme." ((in 15 reviews)); "Good work/life balance but I see that changing as massive cuts bite and over" ((in 10 reviews)); "Friendly staff and minimal work" ((in 7 reviews)); "Flexible working" ((in 6 reviews))

What are the cons of working at The British Library according to real employee reviews?

"Low salary hard to get permanent contract" ((in 17 reviews)); "Very low pay compared to other institutions" ((in 13 reviews)); "Having said that, management are approachable and do seek feedback, unfortunately the staff who are most disgruntled don't seem to voice it in a constructive way." ((in 13 reviews)); "No clear career progression path.Could be stuck in one role for years." ((in 11 reviews)); "Often the managers are bullying staff." ((in 8 reviews))

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The British Library

The British Library Reviews

3.2

52% would recommend to a friend

(145 total reviews)

Roley Keating

47% approve of CEO

50% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Work/Life balance

3.7

Diversity and inclusion

3.5

Culture and values

2.9

Compensation and benefits

2.8

Senior management

2.5

Career opportunities

The British Library has an employee rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars, based on 145 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The The British Library 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

145 reviews

4.0

23 May 2026

Friendly community and interesting work, but lacks progression

Designer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Friendly community Interesting work Flexible working Great training budget

Cons

No progression Beurocratic Not very open to change

3.0

30 Nov 2025

Nice place, low pay

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Great colleagues, nice place to work

Cons

Low pay, limited workplace amenities (e.g. tea, coffee, and fridge access)

2.0

26 Nov 2025

Getting worse

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Work life balance is good

Cons

Pay and career progression are non existent and management is not up to the task

Viewing 1 - 3 of 145 Reviews

Jobs at The British Library

Curator Modern Archives and Manuscripts

Saint Pancras, England

£36K - £36K /yr

(Employer provided)

View job

Community Hub Manager

Saint Pancras, England

Reference Specialist Rare Books & Music

Saint Pancras, England

£31K - £31K /yr

(Employer provided)

View job

Early Career Research Fellow: Covid Commemoration

Saint Pancras, England

£36K - £36K /yr

(Employer provided)

View job

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Reviews by job title

Friendly community and interesting work, but lacks progression

Nice place, low pay

Getting worse

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