Does Smithsonian pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Smithsonian employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.6 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Smithsonian. This rating has improved by 4% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Smithsonian?

69% of Smithsonian employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Smithsonian 4.2 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.1 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 70 reviews)); "Benefits are great and the option to telework." ((in 36 reviews)); "Great staff I enjoyed my time there." ((in 21 reviews)); "Great mentorship, friendly work environment, vigorous research, generous stipend, opportunities to connect with other branches within Smithsonian" ((in 17 reviews)); "Coworkers are friendly and well" ((in 17 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 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 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

69% would recommend to a friend

(89 total reviews)

Dr. David J. Skorton

80% approve of CEO

64% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.3

Diversity & inclusion

4.2

Work/Life balance

4.1

Culture & values

3.6

Compensation and benefits

3.5

Senior management

3.4

Career opportunities

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

89 reviews

Reviews about "Compensation"

Return to all reviews

5.0

Jul 9, 2026

Great workplace with flexible schedules, but low pay

Science explainer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing workplace, flexible schedules, and kind people

Cons

very less pay, visitor interactions can be too much sometimes

3.0

Jul 9, 2026

Decent pay, but management is disorganized

Retail associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Decent pay for the work

Cons

Disorganized management Very difficult to become permanent employee and receive full benefits

2.0

Mar 3, 2026

Not planning to stay

Specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It's the Smithsonian Incredibly smart and hardworking people

Cons

Bureaucracy - tons of forms for every single thing, yet when it comes to doing the work, there's no formalized manual/instructions. Red tape often stifles any creativity. Low salary but high expectations (clearly people burn out and leave] Microaggression and micromanagement from supervisors, yet they're oblivious.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 89 Reviews

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Jobs at Smithsonian

Associate Director, Information Technology

Supervisory Contract Administrator(Subcontracts), IS-1102-14

IT Specialist (SysAdmin/Network) (IS-2210-11/12/13)

Research Ecologist, IS-0408-12

Administrative Specialist(Institutional Operations and Communications), (IS-0301-9)