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.

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British Council

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

Ratings by category

4.0

Diversity & inclusion

3.7

Culture & values

3.7

Work/Life balance

3.2

Senior management

3.2

Career opportunities

3.1

Compensation and benefits

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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

2K reviews

4.0

Apr 28, 2016

Great working environment with talented teachers

English teacher

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- It was great working with trained professionals who know what they're doing (British Council only hire quality teachers, unlike some other language-teaching schools in Paris) - Classrooms are well-equipped and the teachers' room have all the resources you could possibly hope for. - The pay is reasonable and contract is fair. - I had a great mentor who provided support when necessary. I had a few observations and useful feedback on my teaching techniques.

Cons

- It was obligatory to work on Saturdays, which I felt hugely compromised my life outside work. Some evenings, I had an adult class who left the classroom at 10pm, which meant finally getting home very late. - They don't seem to value the PGCE qualification and NQT status based on the UK system, regarding pay scales. Very frustrating since it absolutely should count.

5.0

Apr 23, 2016

Exam Service Assistant

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It is really rewarding and fun working at BC Education Consulting (Beijing) Co. Ltd. Work life balance was realized, line managers and colleagues were supportive and a sense of achievement actually arose whenever a huge exam project was successfully delivered.

Cons

Working overtime might be required when there is a peak season of exams.

3.0

Apr 8, 2016

London office

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Interesting projects to work on. Friendly and modern environment. Great incentive package. Opportunity to travel

Cons

The experience depends fully on your line manager Sometimes demotivated employees Comparably low salaries in the sector Rigid and hierarchical, missing drive

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

£31K - £31K /yr

(Employer provided)

View job