Marathon Petroleum is an American-based company that is involved in petroleum refining, distribution, and marketing.
The company was a subsidiary of Marathon Oil.
However, in 2011, Marathon Petroleum spun off into its own company.
Marathon focuses heavily on sustainability and creating environmentally friendly energy solutions.
The company offers a variety of careers, including engineering, marketing, information technology, and transportation.
Table of Contents
Pros of Working for Marathon Petroleum
1. Friendly Coworkers
Marathon Petroleum is known for having friendly employees.
This makes it a good place to work.
Positive relationships with coworkers have been shown to improve productivity, boost employee morale, and increase employee satisfaction.
It also reduces employee turnover.
2. Benefits
Marathon offers a variety of benefits.
They offer two health plans, one that has no deductibles for most items.
The plans include prescription drug coverage.
Dental and vision are also included.
Other benefits include life insurance, a health savings account, accident insurance, legal insurance, and disability insurance.
3. Tuition Reimbursement
Marathon offers tuition reimbursement, which can help you pay for college.
They cover tuition for courses in an approved degree program, or single courses that aren’t part of a degree program.
Marathon doesn’t only support college graduates.
They also offer reimbursement for certification and licensing for approved programs.
You can receive $5,200 towards tuition and books for a calendar year.
If you are attending a graduate program, you can receive $9,000 a year.
Any non-degree course is counted towards the $5,200 undergraduate reimbursement.
4. Retirement Plan
Marathon Petroleum also offers a 401K retirement plan.
The plan is administered through Fidelity, and employees are immediately eligible for the plan and vested.
Marathon will match employee contributions up to 7% of the employee’s pay, including base pay, overtime, and bonuses.
Employees have control of their investments.
Contributions from previous jobs can be rolled over into the plan.
5. Diversity
Marathon Petroleum has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion.
In fact, 35% of Marathon employees are female, and 35% are ethnic minorities.
The company has taken many steps to continue to increase diversity.
They actively recruit women, minorities, and military veterans.
These efforts include minority initiatives on college campuses, and working with military organizations.
They also have DE&I workshops.
Employee networks further support diversity within the company.
Networks include Asian, Black, Hispanic, Disability, Women, Veterans, and LGBTQ+.
They’ve also received a 100% score from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation Corporate Equality Index, and are recognized as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.
6. Good Training
Employees typically state that Marathon provides solid training for jobs, instead of forcing you to figure it out on your own.
This can lead to a better work environment, higher productivity, and fewer mistakes.
Employees also mention ongoing training and the ability to learn.
You have the opportunity to earn new certifications that can help you further your career.
Those who work in the technology department also learn to use new software, which provides valuable knowledge.
7. Culture of Sustainability
Sustainability may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a petroleum company, but it’s very important to Marathon Petroleum.
The company states that its goal is to meet today’s energy demands while investing in a future that is energy diverse, and has a minimal impact on the environment.
Marathon is working to reduce its carbon footprint, and conserve our planet’s natural resources.
They are also dedicated to investing in renewable energy sources.
The culture of sustainability doesn’t stop with the environment.
Marathon also applies this philosophy to safety, investing in the community, political engagement, and operating with integrity.
8. No Forced Dispatch
This applies to those who drive trucks for Marathon Petroleum.
The company allows drivers to determine which loads they take.
This may seem simple, but not all companies offer this perk.
It gives drivers control over their own schedule and workload, and allows them to take time off when needed.
9. Adequate Equipment
Several employees mention that the company provides good or adequate equipment.
Few things are more frustrating than attempting to do your job with poor or inadequate equipment.
Employees should expect to be provided with everything they need to do their job, but many companies don’t invest in the resources and equipment employees need, which puts an unnecessary strain on them.
10. Low Employee Turnover
A company’s employee turnover rate can give you an idea about how the company is to work for, and how much they value their employees.
Marathon has a low employee turnover rate, with the average employee working for the company for nearly 5 years.
Cons of Working for Marathon Petroleum
1. Pay Isn’t Impressive
While Marathon does offer a great benefits package, the pay isn’t the greatest.
Employees rate Marathon in the top 40% of similarly sized companies, putting the pay at about average.
The average employee earns $67,666 per year.
Higher paying competitors include BP America, which has an average salary of $112,940, and Andeavor, which pays an average of $81,636.
The company Marathon Petroleum split from, Marathon Oil, has an average pay of $77,212, which is still significantly higher than Marathon Petroleum.
2. Poor Training and No Manual
While some employees state that they receive adequate training at Marathon, others have a different experience.
These employees claim that they received little or no training.
They’ve also pointed out that they weren’t offered any learning materials or a training manual.
3. Too Many Meetings
Some employees complain about the amount of meetings they are required to attend.
They say these meetings are often unnecessary, or even pointless.
Unneeded meetings take time away from doing needed tasks, which can affect job performance and productivity.
4. Lack of Political Diversity
This could be a pro or a con, depending on which side of the aisle you are on.
82% of employees are members of the Republican party. If you are a Democrat, you may feel uncomfortable here.
It’s also important to point out that Marathon Petroleum takes pride in being politically active.
This includes lobbying efforts related to the environment and energy production, as well as direct contributions to political parties when allowed by law.
5. Difficult Customers
Employees who work in roles where they frequently deal with customers state that some customers can be difficult to work with.
Some also state that Marathon shows little regard for customers, which puts customer service representatives in a tough spot.
6. Poor Management
Some employees state that Marathon Petroleum has poor management.
Like all companies, some managers are better than others.
It also varies based on the location, and the department.
Your ability to perform your job well, advance, and enjoy your work are directly tied to the type of manager you have.
7. Favoritism and Office Politics
Favoritism and office politics are common complaints at nearly every corporation, and Marathon isn’t immune to this.
Employees state that those who management like on a personal level get promoted faster, get better jobs, and are less likely to be reprimanded for mistakes than other employees.
8. Poor Communication
Employees often mention a lack of communication between management and employees, particularly when it comes to short-term goals or issues.
This can make it difficult to do your job correctly, and doesn’t allow employees to know what to expect on a day-to-day basis.
Lack of communication between departments is also an issue for many employees.
Again, this is a common issue in companies, but it can affect employee stress levels and their ability to correctly perform their duties.
9. Cameras in Trucks
Employees who drive trucks for Marathon Petroleum aren’t a fan of having cameras in their trucks.
This can feel like an invasion of privacy.
No one wants an employer monitoring their every move, so this complaint is understandable.
10. Poor Work-Life Balance
Marathon employees are often expected to work long hours.
Some employees see this as a perk, because it provides plenty of overtime.
However, others prefer a healthy work-life balance, which is difficult to maintain when working here.
20 Pros and Cons of Working for Marathon Petroleum – Summary Table
| Pros of Working for Marathon Petroleum | Cons of Working for Marathon Petroleum |
|---|---|
| 1. Friendly Coworkers | 1. Pay Isn't Impressive |
| 2. Benefits | 2. Poor Training and No Manual |
| 3. Tuition Reimbursement | 3. Too Many Meetings |
| 4. Retirement Plan | 4. Lack of Political Diversity |
| 5. Diversity | 5. Difficult Customers |
| 6. Good Training | 6. Poor Management |
| 7. Culture of Sustainability | 7. Favoritism and Office Politics |
| 8. No Forced Dispatch | 8. Poor Communication |
| 9. Adequate Equipment | 9. Cameras in Trucks |
| 10. Low Employee Turnover | 10. Poor Work-Life Balance |
Should You Work for Marathon Petroleum?
Marathon Petroleum is generally considered a good place to work.
They offer reasonable, if not impressive, pay.
They offer excellent benefits, including health insurance.
The turnover rate for the company is relatively low, and they seem to value their employees.
There’s also a strong focus on environmental sustainability.
Marathon makes a concerted effort towards diversity and inclusion, and has a diverse workforce.
In fact, 70% of employees are a minority or female.
Marathon is a company with strong values, so employees feel good about being a part of the organization.
Like any company, Marathon Petroleum is far from perfect.
If you aren’t a Republican, you probably won’t be comfortable working for this company.
If you are a driver, be prepared to live with a camera in your truck.
You’ll also deal with favoritism, and potentially bad management.
Overall, most employees would recommend the company to someone who needed a job.
