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

5.0

Aug 6, 2015

Good organisation

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great, hard working staff with a real sense of purpose and dedication to the job.

Cons

Having to focus more and more on money making projects instead of arts ones - due to cuts.

3.0

Jul 27, 2015

Interesting projects, but a lack of direction.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I think people genuinely believe in the mission of the Council. That is great if you are interested in working in public projects such as education or the arts. The brand recognition is quite strong, which can lead to some very interesting partnerships. My supervisor was also fantastic, very understanding and easy to talk to.

Cons

The Council lacked direction, which was incredibly frustrating. There seemed to be poor communication between London and the country offices, so I never felt that we had an international team that really knew how to work together and learn from each other. I found this to be the most challenging element of my job, as it sometimes felt we were going nowhere.

4.0

Jul 26, 2015

Coordinator at British Council

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The office has a relaxing environment Offering a decent salary for internship, unpaid all so benefits from programs

Cons

Nothing really much to say

Viewing 2188 - 2190 of 2,315 Reviews

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Jobs at British Council

Customer Experience Manager

E+ Eurodesk Digital Engagement Manager

Proposition Development Coordinator

Edinburgh, Schottland

British Council

British Council reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Good organisation

Interesting projects, but a lack of direction.

Coordinator at British Council

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Jobs at British Council