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

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

4.0

Apr 29, 2024

Great People, Low Pay

Contractor

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Smart, passionate, effective, and caring people. Great community. Amazing location.

Cons

Slow moving and low pay.

5.0

Apr 23, 2024

Come for the collections and content, consider DMV can be a expensive place to live

Team lead

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- Smart, effective colleagues and leadership - Interesting work - Good salary for museum work (in IT)

Cons

- No place to park - necessitates public transportation - Projects take a long time to close, nature of any gov work - Takes a long time to get merit based promotions

4.0

Apr 20, 2024

Good work life balance

Museum technician

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great work life balance with ability to telework. Unless one is in curatorial or advancement, it is possible to have a 9-5 job. Smart colleagues. Some great collections, and you feel good about sharing it with the public for free.

Cons

There is a lot of bureaucracy. Getting promotions is slow and may take years, and is not always fair or based on merit. Favoritisms and lack of transparency on how decisions are made. Lack of diversity in most departments. Pay is not great for entry level and/or early career colleagues in comparison to the DC area, but is good if you a have PhD and in comparison to other public museums.

Viewing 67 - 69 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

Great People, Low Pay

Come for the collections and content, consider DMV can be a expensive place to live

Good work life balance

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at Smithsonian