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

5.0

May 17, 2022

Good

Postdoctoral fellow

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

My experience was very good so far

Cons

No bad experience to report so far

4.0

May 16, 2022

Glad to have worked at the Smithsonian

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The people that I worked with were excellent - in terms of knowledge, teamwork, dedication, and results achieved. Federal government benefits are excellent for the federal positions and trust positions have good benefits as well. My job allowed me to visit the museums, research centers, and the Zoo - a wonderful experience!

Cons

Workload was very high with many meetings during the day and competing demands. It took consistently working after hours to keep up with the deliverables.

5.0

May 11, 2022

Loved it here

Ti fabricator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing people. Seriously, I've never worked anywhere with so many cool people and good vibes.

Cons

The fabrication shop is pretty remote, but at least there's BBQ nearby!

Viewing 154 - 156 of 508 Reviews

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Jobs at Smithsonian

Website Administrator and Multimedia Technologist

Management Support Specialist

Website Administrator and Multimedia Technologist

Museum Specialist (General)

Program Assistant (IS-0303-06)