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 65 reviews)); "Good benefits and culture." ((in 38 reviews)); "Great staff I enjoyed my time there." ((in 21 reviews)); "Great coworkers and behind the scenes access to museum collections" ((in 17 reviews)); "Great mentorship, friendly work environment, vigorous research, generous stipend, opportunities to connect with other branches within Smithsonian" ((in 14 reviews))

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

"Low pay and no promotion oportunity" ((in 29 reviews)); "Low salary for DC metropolitan area" ((in 15 reviews)); "Lack of leadership and hard to fire" ((in 14 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 10 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

5.0

Mar 5, 2014

Working for a Quasi-Government Organization

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The academic community at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage is committed to authenticity and sensitivity in celebrating the cultures of the world, including our own unique folk americana. This commitment permeates every office and inspires the best work from all the staff to present this information to the public in exciting and accessible formats.

Cons

Being a "quasi-government" agency, the bloat of bureaucracy presents an uphill battle for content and budget approvals. Complacency can also cause a rut in innovation, to which fresh ideas are shelved in favor of the tried and true.

3.0

Feb 6, 2014

Its a job not a career. Unless you work in the disciplines of education, curating, and science its not fulfilling.

First line supervisor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Work with good hardworking people. Meet many interesting people everyday since museums average 30 million visitors annually. It's a culturally rich environment.

Cons

Lack of recognition for work performance is bad for morale. Lack of upward mobility is discouraging. A person can get complacent when there is no challenge to the position.

3.0

Nov 14, 2013

Awesome place, but management could do better

Education specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great location and academic environment

Cons

No advancement, especially for minorities and discriminatory practices by Managers/Dept. Chairs

Viewing 469 - 471 of 508 Reviews

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Jobs at Smithsonian

Museum Specialist (General)

Collections Move Coordinator

Museum Specialist (General)

Administrative Officer

Smithsonian

Smithsonian reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Working for a Quasi-Government Organization

Its a job not a career. Unless you work in the disciplines of education, curating, and science its not fulfilling.

Awesome place, but management could do better

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Jobs at Smithsonian