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

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Smithsonian

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 category

4.3

Diversity & inclusion

4.1

Work/Life balance

4.0

Culture & values

3.7

Compensation and benefits

3.4

Senior management

3.4

Career opportunities

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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

508 reviews

1.0

Sep 15, 2023

Don’t work here

Archivist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Looks good on a resume

Cons

Boomer white ladies in most leadership positions

1.0

Aug 31, 2022

Get your skills and get out

Archivist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Resources; looks great on a resume

Cons

Extremely toxic work environment; archaic, classiest management system; DEI work 100% performative; favoritism; expected to perform managerial duties without the title, salary, and decision making power required to succeed; retaliation; rely heavily on contract labor and interns; nepotism; discrimination and harassment 100% tolerated; senior staff never held accountable; 1420 classification for librarians and archivists hasn't been updated since 1994 so the Smithsonian is holding the profession back 30 years in terms of salaries and job descriptions but we are expected to have 2022 qualifications and education

1.0

Mar 28, 2017

Advancement Specialisd

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The opportunity to learn more about advancement, strategic planning, campaign, donor relations, stewardship, portfolio management, prospecting, annual giving, major gift donors, special event and planning, etc. There is potential for an opportunity to develop professionally, become knowledgeable about the stages of development.

Cons

African-Americans are treated unfairly and discriminated against. Performance Evaluations and Appraisals are extremely late and graded unfairly towards Blacks. Low potential for a raise, step increase, or promotion. Diversity and Inclusion do not exist. African-Americans are held to different rules. African-Americans are few in senior management positions.

Viewing 4 - 6 of 508 Reviews

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Jobs at Smithsonian

Museum Specialist (General)

Collections Move Coordinator

Museum Specialist (General)

Administrative Officer