Sweetwater Claimed Company
Our mission is simple — always do the right thing. Whether for customers, visitors, fellow employees, or business partners, our goal is always to exceed expectations and conduct ourselves with integrity, honesty, and respect for others. read more
Sweetwater Company Culture
Sweetwater Culture
This score is derived from employee ratings & reviewsChoice Employer
A+
4.8/5
Sweetwater CEO
Top 5%Top 5% of Similar Size Companies on Comparably
Mike Clem
90 /100
See More
Diversity at Sweetwater
Top 5%Top 5% of Similar Size Companies on Comparably
A+
Diverse employees at Sweetwater have rated Team, CEO Rating, and Manager as the highest categories they have scored
Women at Sweetwater
Top 15%Top 15% of Similar Size Companies on Comparably
A-
Women at Sweetwater have rated Outlook, Team, and Leadership as the highest categories they have scored
Sweetwater eNPS
Net Promoter Score tracks your employees' overall score to this question: "On a scale from 0-10, how likely are you to recommend working at your company to a friend?"Top 5%Top 5% of Similar Size Companies on Comparably
Recommend to a Friend?
60
Sweetwater employees are 60% more likely to recommend Sweetwater as a great place to work
| 70% | Promoters |
|---|---|
| 20% | Passives |
| 10% | Detractors |
Sweetwater Company News
Comparably Awards!
December 15th, 2023December 14th, 2023December 16th, 2023
Comparably released the list of Top 100 winners for their Q4 awards and we are excited to share that Sweetwater was selected in 3 different categories.
"Best Company Culture"
"Best Company for Women"
"Best CEO"
"Having a heart for our customers starts with having a heart for our employees." Jeff Ostermann - Chief People & Culture Officer
Music Inc's 2023 Retailer of The Year!
November 30th, 2023November 29th, 2023December 1st, 2023
Thank you, Music Inc. Magazine for the incredible honor of being selected as the 2023 Retailer of the Year! This would not be possible without our employees, vendors partners and amazing customers! We are so grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve each of you.
Rock-On! ????
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/music-inc-magazine_music-inc-magazine-december-2023-activity-7133146942892642305-Xjdx?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
"Food for Thought" Lunch & Learn
December 5th, 2022December 4th, 2022December 6th, 2022
One of Sweetwater’s 5 imperatives is “Develop the future.” Each month we host a “Food for Thought” Lunch & Learn session to support our employees in their development.
Some of Sweetwater’s own leaders shared their actionable insights to help employees prepare for their next career opportunity.
Thank you our panelists Aletha DeVries, Megan Deal, Jason Johnson, Jeff Ekblad, Adam Crampton, Carmen Tse, and our panel facilitator Heather Herron.
Sweetwater Interns Visit Fort Wayne Zoo
December 5th, 2022December 4th, 2022December 6th, 2022
We decided to live life on the wild side and took our Sweetwater #interns to the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo.
We have many events throughout the summer, designed to get our interns out and exploring our beautiful community!
Here are some pictures of our awesome interns!
#fulltimedream
#sweetwater
#wearesweetwater
#fortwayne
Working at Sweetwater
Working at Sweetwater is rated highly by 342 employees, across various culture dimensions. Sweetwater employees are most satisfied about CEO Rating, Compensation, and Environment categories, putting Sweetwater’s culture in the Top 5% compared to similar sized companies on Comparably and in the Top 10% compared to other companies in Fort Wayne, IN. See below in detail how working at Sweetwater was rated by employees.
Overall Company Culture at Sweetwater
A+
Overall Company Culture at Sweetwater is rated A+
Last updated months ago
Top
5%
Sweetwater ranks in the Top 5% of other companies on Comparably with 1,001-5,000 Employees for Overall Company Culture Score
Sweetwater Employee Reviews
Out of 1848 Sweetwater employee reviews, 94% were positive. The remaining 6% were constructive reviews with the goal of helping Sweetwater improve their work culture.
| Positive Reviews | 94% |
|---|---|
| Constructive Feedback | 6% |
Positive Reviews From Sweetwater Employees
- What makes you most happy at work?Making a real, tangible difference in people's lives through my work. Being able to align people with a life-changing opportunity, through a new career in an awesome company, is an absolute blessing.
- What are some of the best things about your team?The people! The team I'm currently on is easily the most cohesive I've ever been a part of, professionally.
- What is most positive about the culture and environment at your company?As stated before, the people! Additionally, Sweetwater being an audio retailer, aligns with my passion for music & audio.
Constructive Feedback From Sweetwater Employees
- Why do you feel undervalued and what would make you feel better about your compensation?I don't know that I necessarily feel undervalued at Sweetwater. I think I am valued, as a person, but I think Sweetwater is notorious for underpaying employees.
- Why do you feel undervalued and what would make you feel better about your compensation?Compensation could be better, but it is fair.
- What do your coworkers need to improve and how could you work together better?Ive notices some dynamics that make collaboration feel a bit less open and inclusive. There are constant rolling of eyes at me, passive aggression, and cliques that exclude those with melanin.
Sweetwater Company Information
Sweetwater Company Overview
Our mission is simple — always do the right thing. Whether for customers, visitors, fellow employees, or business partners, our goal is always to exceed expectations and conduct ourselves with integrity, honesty, and respect for others.
Sweetwater was founded in 1979 and its current CEO is Mike Clem. Since its inception 47 years ago, Sweetwater has grown to 2600 employees.
Sweetwater Mission, Vision & Values
Sweetwater Mission & Values
We come to work every day excited by the opportunity to help make every customer’s music dreams come true. That shared passion has driven us from day one, when Sweetwater was just the dream of a recording engineer working out of a VW bus, to our position today as the #1 online retailer of music instruments and pro audio gear in the country. We have the most passionate customers in the world because we provide them with the best customer service in the world. Core to our identity and continued success, our purpose is to help make our customer’s music dreams come true through an unrelenting focus on delivering truly world-class customer service. We are united not only by our shared passion for music and customer service but also by our commitment to challenge, encourage, and serve one another. We will always — and without question — go above and beyond to do the right thing for our customers, our employees, and our friends.
Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility at Sweetwater
From reducing all possible shipping waste to building a sustainable campus, our commitment to the environment is rooted in founder Chuck Surack’s childhood experiences in Boy Scouts. When we come to work, we know we’re doing everything we can to make sure we’re leaving our world better than how we found it.
The Sweetwater campus headquarters in Fort Wayne was one of the first 200 buildings in the entire world to become LEED Platinum Certified by the United States Green Building Council. LEED Platinum Certification is earned by demonstrating the highest level of commitment to environmental sustainability and occupant comfort.
We do all this because it is the right thing to do, but we hope to inspire and encourage others to take action for our world and for the future.
At Sweetwater, you’ll find nonprofit board members, volunteers, and community leaders at every level of every department. We are all encouraged to make a positive impact on the Sweetwater campus and beyond. Doing the right thing is as simple as signing up for our next big volunteer opportunity. We support important local initiatives — like music education programs in area school districts, the Unity Performing Arts Foundation, Fort Wayne United Front, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne — as well as national organizations like Little Kids Rock.
| Headquarter | 5501 US Highway 30 W Fort Wayne, IN 46818 United States of America |
|---|---|
| Website | www.sweetwater.com/ |
| Founding Date | 1979 |
| Tel | 800-222-4700x |
| Company Status | Private |
| Jobs | www.sweetwater.com/careers/ |
| Social Sites |
Our Community
Our Campus
Culture Video
Fitness Center
Sweetwater Employees
Sweetwater has 2600 employees. 342 employees at Sweetwater have reviewed Sweetwater across various culture dimensions, providing their opinions on items ranging from executive ratings to the pace at work. The latest review was months ago.
Overall, the 342 Sweetwater employees give their leadership a grade of A+, or Top 5% of similar size companies on Comparably. This includes specific ratings of their executive team, CEO, and manager.
Employees at Sweetwater are extremely happy with their total compensation at Sweetwater, which includes a combination of pay, stock and equity, and benefits.
Overall, employees at Sweetwater are extremely happy with their team. 342 Participants grade the quality of their coworkers an A+. The majority believe the meetings at Sweetwater are effective, and the majority look forward to interacting with their coworkers.
The majority of employees at Sweetwater believe the environment at Sweetwater is positive. Most Participants believe the pace of work at Sweetwater is comfortably fast. About 64% of the employees at Sweetwater work 8 hours or less, while 2% of them have an extremely long day - longer than twelve hours.
Overall, the employees at Sweetwater are extremely happy, based on their aggregated ratings of future outlook, customer perception, and their excitement going to work.
A Day in the Life
A Day in the Life
Sweetwater employees generally work 8.8 hrs a day
Work Hours
A Day in the Life
Employees at Sweetwater report the work pace is comfortably fast
Work Pace
A Day in the Life
On a typical day, employees at Sweetwater have 0 meetings
Meetings
A Day in the Life
97% of Sweetwater employees look forward to interacting with their team every day
Coworkers
A Day in the Life
Sweetwater employees most often take 20-30 paid vacation and sick days each year
Perks & Benefits
A Day in the Life
81% of Sweetwater employees report they are happy with their work life balance
Work Life Balance
A Day in the Life
Sweetwater employees typically get valuable feedback on how to improve at work Every Week
Feedback
A Day in the Life
93% of Sweetwater employees call their work environment positive
Environment
Joining Sweetwater - Employee Onboarding
The prevailing opinion from employees about joining Sweetwater is that the company was somewhat prepared on their first day. Sweetwater employees concluded that their overall onboarding experience was negative. First impressions are important, and how prepared a company is on your first day leaves a lasting impression.
Sweetwater KPIs and OKRs
Employees’ understanding of Sweetwater's KPIs and OKRs is essential for its success. Out of 296 Sweetwater employees who’ve answered, “Are your company’s goals clear and are you invested in them?” 273 have said yes.
Are your company's goals clear, and are you invested in them?
Are the KPIs/OKRs for your department clear?
Sweetwater CEO & Leadership
90 /100
Sweetwater CEO Awards and Recognitions
Sweetwater’s CEO Mike Clem started in this role in 2003. Mike’s approval rate is in the Top 5% of all CEOs of similar-sized companies on Comparably, and in the Top 5% compared to the CEOs of all other companies in Fort Wayne, IN. With a high CEO score, Mike Clem has won the Best CEOs in 2025. Sweetwater’s CEO is highly regarded especially by employees in the Engineering department, employees in the Finance department, and employees in the IT department. However, employees with the company for 2 to 5 Years, employees in the Customer Support department, and Asian or Pacific Islander employees have a less favorable view of the CEO and believe there is room for improvement. Compared to Sweetwater’s competitors, Mike Clem ranks right above Reverb CEO Dave Mandelbrot. Under Clem’s leadership, Sweetwater employee respondents are most happy about their Compensation and the company’s Environment. Meetings and Gender are two areas, according to respondents, where Sweetwater could stand to see real improvement.
Sweetwater Leadership
The Sweetwater Executive Team is rated an “A+” and led by CEO Mike Clem, Chief Executive Officer John Hopkins, and President Mike Clem
Mike Clem CEO / President
Mike Clem serves as the CEO / President of Sweetwater.
John Hopkins Chief Executive Officer
John Hopkins serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Sweetwater.
Mike Clem President
Mike Clem serves as the President of Sweetwater.
Jeff Radke Chief Sales Officer
Jeff Radke serves as the Chief Sales Officer of Sweetwater.
Greg Clark Chief Financial Officer
Greg Clark serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Sweetwater.
Jeff Ostermann Chief People & Culture Officer
Jeff Ostermann serves as the Chief People & Culture Officer of Sweetwater.
Phil Rich Chief Supply Chain Officer
Phil Rich serves as the Chief Supply Chain Officer of Sweetwater.
Jason Johnson Chief Information Officer
Jason Johnson serves as the Chief Information Officer of Sweetwater.
Jeanine Gaffke Chief Marketing Office
Jeanine Gaffke serves as the Chief Marketing Office of Sweetwater.
Sweetwater Salaries
How much does Sweetwater pay?
How much do people at Sweetwater get paid? See the latest salaries by department and job title. The average estimated annual salary, including base and bonus, at Sweetwater is $113,500, or $54 per hour, while the estimated median salary is $226,246, or $108 per hour.
At Sweetwater, the highest paid job is a Group Engineering Manager at $135,000 annually and the lowest is a Developer at $75,500 annually. Average Sweetwater salaries by department include: Engineering at $113,500. Half of Sweetwater salaries are above $226,246.
325 employees at Sweetwater rank their Compensation in the Top 5% of similar sized companies in the US (based on 690 ratings) while 324 employees at Sweetwater rank their Perks And Benefits in the Top 5% of similar sized companies in the US (based on 619 ratings).
Salaries contributed from Sweetwater employees include job titles like Group Engineering Manager and Project Manager- Tech. Comparably data has a total of 3 salary records from Sweetwater employees.
Last updated months ago.
| Summary | Salary Range | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
1st Percentile $76k | $76k | 1st Percentile |
25th Percentile $135k | $135k | 25th Percentile |
50th Percentile $225k | $225k | 50th Percentile |
75th Percentile $244k | $244k | 75th Percentile |
100th Percentile $287k | $287k | 100th Percentile |
$113,500*
Average Compensation
$226,246*
Median Compensation
* Estimated salaries Estimated salaries are based on data provided anonymously by employees and/or estimated by other statistical methods.
Sweetwater Salaries by Department
Diversity & Inclusion at Sweetwater
Diverse employees at Sweetwater score the company 85/100 across various culture categories, placing Sweetwater in the Top 5% of companies on Comparably with 1,001-5,000 Employees for Comparably's diversity score. The Diversity score provides insights into how diverse employees feel and rate their work experience at Sweetwater across various culture dimensions.
Through Sweetwater’s culture which is built on the creation and celebration of music, we seek to help unify people from all walks of life by inviting in, valuing, respecting, and learning from individual differences and unique perspectives. By doing so, we make Sweetwater stronger as a company and a better place to work. Our strategies include....,,1) Recruitment/Purposeful Hiring,,Partnerships: We develop key partnerships with a variety of organizations to aid us in recruiting diverse candidates. These include HBCUs like Tennessee State University and nonprofit organizations like Women in Audio, Beats by Girlz, and the National Coalition of Black Musicians. ,,Sourcing: We utilize best-in-class tools to proactively identify diverse candidates.,,Measurement: We hold ourselves accountable to annual diverse hiring targets that are customized by department/functional skill area.,,2) Training & Development,,Foundations: All employees complete an anti-harassment, anti-discrimination and diversity and inclusion training module. ,,Enrichment: We offer additional D&I related learning & discussion opportunities through:,- Monthly lunch and learn sessions,- Incorporation of Cultural Intelligence training into our Manager Development Program ,- Participation in a local community-wide training program,- Regular meetings with an internal cross-functional D&I Advisory Group to gain insights from across our company,,3) Community Involvement,,Philanthropic Support: We offer financial support & board participation in a number of D&I-related organizations - especially those listed above with whom we partner on other efforts.,
Ranked Culture the Highest
Ranked Culture the Lowest
Sweetwater Perks & Benefits
Health & Wellness
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Health Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Gym Membership / Reimbursement
Paid Time Off
- PTO / Vacation Policy
- Paid Holidays
- Maternity / Paternity Leave
Financial Benefits
- 401K / Retirement Plan
- Tuition Reimbursement
Office Perks
- Company Social Outings
- Legal Assistance
- Unique Office Space
Sweetwater PTO
Sweetwater's PTO and Vacation policy typically gives 20-30 days off a year with 67% of employees expected to be work free while out of office. Sweetwater's benefits and PTO Package averages to represent a less than $500 cash value per month.
Other than healthcare, which of the following benefits is most important to you?
Does your boss expect you to work when you're on vacation?
What do you estimate the cash value of your benefits to be? Healthcare, PTO, etc?
Frequently Asked Questions regarding Sweetwater
What is Sweetwater address?
Sweetwater location is at 5501 US Highway 30 W
Who is the CEO of Sweetwater?
Sweetwater CEO is Mike Clem, their score by employees is 90
What is Sweetwater eNPS?
The eNPS for Sweetwater is 60
What is Sweetwater revenue?
Sweetwater revenue is $2B
What is the salary for Group Engineering Manager in Sweetwater?
Group Engineering Manager average salary in the US is 135k
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