Does British Council pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, British Council employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.1 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at British Council. This rating has improved by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at British Council?

62% of British Council employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated British Council 3.7 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 British Council?

English Teacher (162) , English Language Assistant (100) , Teacher (100) , Exam Invigilator (93) , Project Manager (67) , Invigilator (64) , Teaching Assistant (55) , Manager (45) , ESL Teacher (38) , Customer Service Representative (30) , Teacher of English (26) , Language Assistant (25) , IELTS Invigilator (24) , Administrative Assistant (23) , Consultant (23)

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

"Meaningful and some great colleagues" ((in 170 reviews)); "Good work life balance and focus on employee well being" ((in 117 reviews)); "Great people to work with and for." ((in 109 reviews)); "Great working environment and friendly" ((in 73 reviews)); "It's just a shame that the good culture was destroyed by bad organisational management." ((in 67 reviews))

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

"Salaries are low and you have to work from the office most of the time." ((in 207 reviews)); "Low pay and insanely bureaucratic" ((in 116 reviews)); "But yes Management is Poor and Biased !" ((in 99 reviews)); "Those in senior leadership positions tend to serve themselves and their careers ahead of the corporate mission." ((in 34 reviews)); "This permeates across different offices and countries too as the managers have very often mixed a lot in past roles." ((in 32 reviews))

What are employees saying about British Council layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about British Council layoffs and their outlook for job security at British Council in 2026.

British Council reviews

3.7

62% would recommend to a friend

(2,315 total reviews)

Ciarán Devane

57% approve of CEO

43% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (2,315 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

British Council has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 2,315 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The British Council employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Gemeinnützige Organisationen & NGOs industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews

4.0

Oct 14, 2016

x

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

supportive atmosphere, travel, & minimal supervision

Cons

salary, very low for work type

4.0

Oct 5, 2016

Working for the British Council in a management position

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The BC is a very professional organisation.

Cons

It can be very bureaucratic.

4.0

Oct 5, 2016

Interesting work, frustrating structures

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Interesting work, multicultural and diverse working environment, generally supportive management, some travel opportunities depending on the post, for some posts travel requirements are high, access to interesting and influential people. Good if you are a specialist in a particular geography or discipline.

Cons

Complicated matrix management can mean that project ownership and accountabilities not always clear. Reduced funding means in some geographies programming decisions are unduly influenced by views of funders and stakeholders rather than core mission and vision. Salaries are low in comparison to expectations and working hours.

Viewing 2167 - 2169 of 2,315 Reviews

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Jobs at British Council

Customer Experience Manager

Proposition Development Coordinator

Vereinigtes Königreich

Edinburgh, Schottland

Erasmus + Single Point of Contact(Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland)

Language Learning Project Officer

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British Council

British Council reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

x

Working for the British Council in a management position

Interesting work, frustrating structures

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Jobs at British Council