Autodesk is a software company headquartered in San Rafael, California, specializing in design, engineering, and construction applications for industries ranging from architecture to manufacturing. The company’s flagship products include AutoCAD, Rev...
I hear a lot of the same things from people who have worked at Autodesk: it feels like a thoughtful company that cares about product quality and customer outcomes. Engineers and designers often say they enjoy the technical problems and the stable product footprint. Folks in design and customer success highlight meaningful work — helping architects, engineers, and makers build real things — which makes day-to-day work feel rewarding.
On the flip side, some employees mention occasional slow decision-making and bureaucracy, especially in larger business units. New hires often report a friendly onboarding experience but note that getting cross-team visibility can take time. If you search for "company culture at Autodesk" or "working at Autodesk", you'll frequently see praise for the mission and product, with constructive notes about process and pace.
The company culture at Autodesk leans toward collaborative, mission-driven work. People tend to be professional, curious, and focused on long-term product health. There are strong pockets of innovation, especially where teams work directly with customers. Diversity and inclusion initiatives are visible, and employee resource groups are active.
That said, culture can vary by team. Some groups are very startup-like and fast-moving; others are more conservative and process-heavy. If culture fit matters to you, try to meet your potential teammates and ask how decisions are made on that specific team.
Work-life balance at Autodesk is generally good compared with many tech firms. Many teams operate with a reasonable respect for personal time, and flexible schedules are common. "Work-life balance at Autodesk" is often rated positively in reviews.
However, during product launches or end-of-quarter pushes, hours can spike. Remote employees and parents tend to appreciate the flexibility available, but your experience will depend on your manager and team deadlines.
Job security is fair but not absolute. Autodesk is a mature company with steady revenue streams, which helps stability. That said, like most companies, it has done periodic restructuring. Role stability is often higher in core product teams and customer-facing functions; experimental or newly formed teams may see more change.
Senior leadership emphasizes product quality and serving customers. Many employees respect the executive vision, especially around sustainability and digital transformation for design and construction. Communication from leadership is regular, but some employees wish for more transparency around strategy shifts.
Manager quality varies widely. Strong managers provide clear expectations, mentorship, and advocacy. Weak managers may be distant or overly process-focused.
Direct managers have a big impact on the Autodesk experience. Positive managers empower teams, provide growth opportunities, and support flexible schedules. Problematic managers tend to micromanage or emphasize process over outcomes.
When interviewing, try to get a sense of a manager's leadership style and typical day-to-day expectations. Ask for examples of career growth stories from their team.
Autodesk invests in learning. There are internal training programs, access to online learning platforms, and time for conference attendance in many roles. Mentorship and knowledge sharing are common in engineering and design communities.
If you like to learn on the job, Autodesk offers a supportive environment. Formal career development can depend on your manager and business unit.
Promotion paths exist but can be deliberate and structured. For individual contributors, there are clear level guides in many technical tracks. Promotions are often tied to demonstrated impact and scope growth. Moving across functions or into product leadership is possible but may require proactive networking.
Salaries at Autodesk are competitive for the market but vary by role and location. Typical US base ranges (approximate): entry-level software engineers $90k–$130k, mid-level $130k–$180k, senior engineers $170k–$250k, engineering managers $180k–$280k. Design, product, and specialist roles are comparable depending on skill set and location.
These are rough ranges; total compensation can change with bonuses, equity, and local market rates.
Autodesk offers annual performance bonuses for many employees and grants equity (RSUs) to most technical and managerial roles. Bonus sizes depend on role, level, and company performance. There are also spot awards and recognition programs for strong contributions.
Health benefits are solid. Typical offerings include medical, dental, and vision plans, plus HSA/FSA options, mental health support, and an employee assistance program. Parental leave and caregiver supports are available and generally competitive.
There are team offsites, internal tech talks, hackathons, and regional events. Employee resource groups host events for community, networking, and learning. Engagement varies by office and region but is generally active.
Remote work support is good. Autodesk has embraced hybrid and remote arrangements, provides home office stipends in many locations, and supplies equipment. Cross-time-zone collaboration is common, and tooling is in place to support distributed teams.
Typical hours center around a 40-hour week. Expect occasional spikes to 45–50+ hours during intense project cycles. Many employees manage to keep a consistent schedule thanks to flexible policies.
Attrition is moderate and varies by team. Autodesk has had periodic restructuring and small rounds of workforce adjustments like many large tech companies, often in response to market shifts. Core product teams tend to be more stable than experimental or newly acquired units.
Overall rating: 4.2/5. Autodesk scores high for mission-driven work, product impact, benefits, and work-life balance. It loses a few points for variability in manager quality, occasional bureaucracy, and periodic restructuring. For people who want meaningful work with decent stability and growth opportunities, working at Autodesk is an attractive option.
Read authentic experiences from current and former employees at Autodesk
People-first culture, excellent parental leave and benefits, and leadership that listens. Lots of programs for inclusion and engagement.
Compensation lags for some HR roles relative to market, and HR can be spread thin during major reorganizations.
Strong focus on user experience and design systems. Collaborative teams and regular design critiques that help improve skills. Respectable benefits and learning stipends.
Salary bands are lower in the region compared to US offices. Sometimes timelines are aggressive which affects work-life balance.
Great engineering culture, focus on learning and career growth, flexible hybrid policy and solid benefits. Leadership is accessible and product-focused.
Occasional long sprint weeks and some legacy code that takes effort to modernize.
Strong product portfolio that opens doors with customers. Good training programs and lots of market credibility behind the brand.
Internal processes are bureaucratic, and quota expectations changed frequently. I felt promotion decisions were opaque which was frustrating.
Clear product vision, cross-functional collaboration, lots of user research and data-driven decisions. Good mentorship and opportunities to lead projects.
Promotion cycles can be slow and not always transparent. Compensation competitive but could be better for senior PMs.
Interesting technical challenges, modern cloud tooling, and supportive engineering teams. Contract pay was fair and onboarding was smooth.
As a contractor there was less clarity around long-term roles and benefits. Hiring/contract extension took a long time.
