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)); "Benefits are great and the option to telework." ((in 34 reviews)); "Great staff I enjoyed my time there." ((in 24 reviews)); "Coworkers are friendly and well" ((in 18 reviews)); "Working NMAH was a great opportunity to contribute to a public facing organization and learn new skills." ((in 18 reviews))

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

"low pay too much red tape" ((in 30 reviews)); "Low salary for DC metropolitan area" ((in 14 reviews)); "Lack of leadership and hard to fire" ((in 13 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

(510 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 510 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

510 reviews

4.0

Sep 11, 2019

An organization with purpose

Account manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Working for a well respected organization

Cons

It can take a long time to get decisions.

3.0

Aug 9, 2019

Great potential, sub-par leadership.

Museum specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great resources. Smithsonian name has global cache.

Cons

Upper leadership is political and bureaucratic. Employees are treated like cogs.

5.0

Aug 5, 2019

Like Working With Family

Public affairs specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Such a fascinating place to work with incredibly smart + talented people

Cons

Lots of politicking and jockeying for position, tends to lead to favoritism and people who are not neccessarily deserving advancing due to their personality, rather than work

Viewing 283 - 285 of 510 Reviews

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Jobs at Smithsonian

Exhibits Specialist (IS-1010-11)

Collections Move Coordinator

Management Support Specialist

Public Affairs Specialist (Digital Communications), IS-1035-12

Administration, Finance, and Operations Manager (Administrative Specialist)