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 63 reviews)); "Good benefits and bear transit" ((in 34 reviews)); "Great staff I enjoyed my time there." ((in 20 reviews)); "Great coworkers and behind the scenes access to museum collections" ((in 18 reviews)); "Amazing opportunities to work on global projects and collaborate with internationally celebrated artists and scholars." ((in 17 reviews))

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

"Slow moving and low pay." ((in 26 reviews)); "Lack of leadership and hard to fire" ((in 13 reviews)); "Low salary for DC metropolitan area" ((in 12 reviews)); "Unpaid internship where I was doing some of the same work that paid employees were doing." ((in 12 reviews)); "Long hours and very administrative at times" ((in 8 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

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (508 reviews)

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

5.0

Apr 8, 2016

Love it !

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The people are great! Really care about their employees

Cons

As a contractor the taxes you have to pay are terrible, plus no benefits

4.0

Sep 16, 2010

Solid institution, suffers from USG-style systems and malaise

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- great mandate - very intelligent professional staff - satisfying mission - location and work atmosphere good - interesting areas of expertise

Cons

- all the cons of USG bureaucracy - culture of fear resulting from recent leadership change - USG style system of job movement for advancement, no growth in place

5.0

Aug 13, 2025

For a technical or development task

Full stack developer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Reviews offer insights into company culture, management style, work-life balance, and career growth opportunities

Cons

Reviews may be overly positive (e.g., written at HR’s request) or overly negative (e.g., written by disgruntled ex-employees), skewing the real picture

Viewing 466 - 468 of 508 Reviews

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Jobs at Smithsonian

Museum Specialist (General)

Museum Specialist (General)

Collections Move Coordinator

Smithsonian

Smithsonian reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Love it !

Solid institution, suffers from USG-style systems and malaise

For a technical or development task

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Jobs at Smithsonian