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 123 reviews)); "Great people to work with and for." ((in 113 reviews)); "Great working environment and friendly" ((in 75 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 202 reviews)); "Low pay and insanely bureaucratic" ((in 115 reviews)); "But yes Management is Poor and Biased !" ((in 106 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 30 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

Aug 15, 2015

British Council ETA, Thailand

Language assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Some of the best reasons to work for the British Council include the huge network of contacts available to you throughout your time on the programme, which ensure you're never alone or unsure- someone is always there to answer your queries and help you along your journey. The British council treat everyone as individuals, you receive care and assistant throughout the process of application, and whilst engaging in the programme.

Cons

Sometimes the British Council are a little late when responding to emails, but that would be the only downside I could name.

3.0

Aug 14, 2015

Great place

Head of operations and compliance

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

They really consider developing staff, and consider their career development and safety

Cons

the work life balance is an issue, and it is really one big problem that staff face

5.0

Aug 6, 2015

After 23 years I'm still standing.....

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The British Council has a long history (since 1934!) in specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities in over 110 countries worldwide. I belong to a team of over 5,000 colleagues all working for the above common goals. Very proud to work for them for very proud to connect millions of people with the United Kingdom through programmes and services in the English language, the Arts, Education and Society.

Cons

Nothing negative - except the lack of pay rises in the public sector for so many years.

Viewing 2185 - 2187 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

British Council ETA, Thailand

Great place

After 23 years I'm still standing.....

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Jobs at British Council