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 67 reviews)); "Good benefits and bear transit" ((in 36 reviews)); "Great staff I enjoyed my time there." ((in 17 reviews)); "Coworkers are friendly and well" ((in 16 reviews)); "Amazing opportunities to work on global projects and collaborate with internationally celebrated artists and scholars." ((in 16 reviews))

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

"Low pay and no promotion oportunity" ((in 28 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 9 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

4.0

Sep 19, 2022

Mixed experience

Visual information specialist (exhibit designer)

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing collections (artifacts). Interesting projects. Good pay for an in-house museum exhibit designer. It's hard to find a non-profit museum position that pays the bills.

Cons

Stifling bureaucracy. Dysfunction across the Institution. Less creative freedom.

5.0

Sep 16, 2022

Love it here!

Marketing

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Everyone is highly motivated, interesting and friendly to work with. Great benefits and close sense of community. The work is hard but rewarding. It’s the best job in the world. I’m very happy to be here.

Cons

Bureaucracy and red tape as expected.

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

Viewing 139 - 141 of 508 Reviews

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Jobs at Smithsonian

Website Administrator and Multimedia Technologist

Management Support Specialist

Program Assistant (IS-0303-06)

Digital Content Manager, Smithsonian Journeys

Management Support Specialist