Does Smithsonian pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Smithsonian employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.7 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Smithsonian. This rating has improved by 5% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Smithsonian?

66% of Smithsonian employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Smithsonian 4.1 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.0 for culture and values and 3.4 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Smithsonian?

Intern (56) , Internship (13) , Explainer (10) , Retail Sales Associate (9) , Sales Associate (9) , Contractor (8) , Postdoctoral Fellow (8) , Research Assistant (8) , Museum Specialist (7) , Program Coordinator (7) , Security Officer (7) , Archivist (6) , Curator (6) , Education Specialist (6) , Program Assistant (6)

What are the pros of working at Smithsonian according to real employee reviews?

"And you will meet so many great people (tourist) from all over the world." ((in 66 reviews)); "Good benefits and bear transit" ((in 35 reviews)); "Great staff I enjoyed my time there." ((in 21 reviews)); "Amazing opportunities to work on global projects and collaborate with internationally celebrated artists and scholars." ((in 18 reviews)); "Coworkers are friendly and well" ((in 16 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Smithsonian according to real employee reviews?

"Pay is low but definitely no lower than industry standards." ((in 28 reviews)); "Lack of leadership and hard to fire" ((in 13 reviews)); "Unpaid internship where I was doing some of the same work that paid employees were doing." ((in 12 reviews)); "Low salary for DC metropolitan area" ((in 11 reviews)); "Long hours and very administrative at times" ((in 9 reviews))

What are the top reviewed Smithsonian locations?

Washington , Chantilly , New York , Suitland , Arlington , Chicago , Front Royal , Annapolis , Edgewater , District Heights , Falls Church , Herndon , Manassas , Sterling , Wisconsin Rapids , Tucson , Ann Arbor , Burlington , Saint Cloud , Shepherdstown , San Diego , Berkeley , Las Vegas , Ruston , Seattle , Catonsville , Columbia , California , Chevy Chase , Fort Washington

Smithsonian reviews

4.1

66% would recommend to a friend

(508 total reviews)

Dr. David J. Skorton

75% approve of CEO

64% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Smithsonian has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 508 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Smithsonian employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Nonprofit & NGO industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

508 reviews

2.0

Apr 29, 2015

Prepare to have your heart broken.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Everyone is impressed when you tell them where you work

Cons

Lots of red tape and politics. You can love the Smithsonian, but it won't love you back.

4.0

Apr 17, 2015

Great benefits, great coworkers... little promotion potential.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits, great coworkers, exciting work, great location, job stability, training opportunities.

Cons

Slow hiring process. Little promotion potential and low-graded positions at particular museums mean lower salaries.

4.0

Apr 6, 2015

Mostly positive!

Curator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Wonderful to be part of a institution dedicated to increasing and sharing knowledge via museums exhibitions, research, publication programs and other educational offerings. Amazing benefits, including learning opportunities, good health, vision and dental insurance, retirement contributions and transportation benefits.

Cons

Lots of bureaucracy, some difficult/territorial personalities, not much room for career advancement or salary increases in many of the positions.

Viewing 436 - 438 of 508 Reviews

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Jobs at Smithsonian

Museum Specialist (General)

Collections Move Coordinator

Museum Specialist (General)

Smithsonian

Smithsonian reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Prepare to have your heart broken.

Great benefits, great coworkers... little promotion potential.

Mostly positive!

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at Smithsonian