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 37 reviews)); "Great staff I enjoyed my time there." ((in 20 reviews)); "Coworkers are friendly and well" ((in 17 reviews)); "Amazing opportunities to work on global projects and collaborate with internationally celebrated artists and scholars." ((in 15 reviews))

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

"Low pay and no promotion oportunity" ((in 25 reviews)); "Low salary for DC metropolitan area" ((in 13 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 8 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

Jan 8, 2018

Job satisfaction

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Respect for Institution from telling folks you work there even though they think of it only as a museum

Cons

General management disdain for employees

4.0

Dec 21, 2017

Great influence, Federal bureaucracy.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Opportunity to see, touch, ad participate in amazing moments. Camaraderie (varies museum to museum and department to department) Institution reputation The name kicks all doors open.

Cons

Debilitating bureaucracy Departments in individual silos Little cross department/museum cooperation.

3.0

Dec 8, 2017

Small Units need more Oversight.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Huge, well respected institution. Very competitive salaries and great benefits. You can accrue a generous amount of leave in your account annually. Improvements have been made for making flex time and remote work available.

Cons

Processes for communication and documentation are uneven across the institution. Some areas are very up-to-date on technology, some are antiquated and still stuck in using paper and pencil forms. If you work in a smaller unit with fewer levels of management and experience consistent problems with your supervisor or senior staff, it can be very difficult to effect change because you'd have to go outside the unit/museum and way over your director's head to effect any change.

Viewing 352 - 354 of 508 Reviews

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Jobs at Smithsonian

Museum Specialist (General)

Collections Move Coordinator

Administrative Officer