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

1.0

Jan 3, 2025

Underpaid and underappreciated

Project manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I love the work I do, but that does not pay the bills. I'm am able to put my work down when I go home at night. Good diversity and commiseration.

Cons

You will never be paid what you should be getting paid and you will never get a promotion. They know you will never leave because of the power the name "Smithsonian" holds culturally. Overworked because they refuse to hire enough staff, so you have to do the job of 3-5 people. Good luck getting disability accommodations or telework, its the wild west left up to your direct manager who likely wont even know what they are or your rights are. If you are LGBT prepare to be ignored and mistreated.

2.0

Feb 4, 2024

Leadership Gaps

Associate director

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

A global treasure of art, history, science

Cons

Current leadership is adrift and problematic

1.0

Mar 2, 2023

Cool projects, horrible leadership?

Manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Get to work on interesting projects, federal employees have good retirement benefits

Cons

leadership is toxic and horrible and Smithsonian HR offices ignore valid issues like racism and retaliation. Consistently underfunded and the hiring process is so slow you're almost always overworked and doing multiple jobs. Lack of professional development budgets and opportunities, unlike other federal agencies.

Viewing 10 - 12 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

Underpaid and underappreciated

Leadership Gaps

Cool projects, horrible leadership?

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at Smithsonian