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)); "Smithsonian has pretty good benefits" ((in 34 reviews)); "Great staff I enjoyed my time there." ((in 21 reviews)); "Coworkers are friendly and well" ((in 17 reviews)); "Working NMAH was a great opportunity to contribute to a public facing organization and learn new skills." ((in 17 reviews))

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

"Low pay and no promotion oportunity" ((in 26 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)); "Low salary for DC metropolitan area" ((in 11 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

5.0

Mar 17, 2017

Explainer

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great work culture and incredible place to learn

Cons

Many individuals with position makes getting more work hours difficult

2.0

Mar 11, 2017

Intern

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good opportunities to learn from experienced individuals

Cons

No career options beyond the internship

3.0

Feb 28, 2017

Research Scientist

Research scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Smithsonian mission is broad, collections fascinating, intellectual environment, research freedom, good budgets

Cons

Bureaucracy, lack of accountability for supervisors, subject to whims of Congree, very male dominated and uneven compensation and advancement for female scientists

Viewing 370 - 372 of 510 Reviews

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Jobs at Smithsonian

Exhibits Specialist (IS-1010-11)

Exhibits Specialist (IS-1010-11)

Management Support Specialist

Education Program Specialist (School and Teacher Programs), IS-1720-09

Management and Program Analyst