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)); "Good benefits and culture." ((in 38 reviews)); "Great staff I enjoyed my time there." ((in 21 reviews)); "Great coworkers and behind the scenes access to museum collections" ((in 17 reviews)); "Great mentorship, friendly work environment, vigorous research, generous stipend, opportunities to connect with other branches within Smithsonian" ((in 14 reviews))

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

"Low pay and no promotion oportunity" ((in 29 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 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

Skip to content Skip to footer

Notifications

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

Feb 27, 2022

Great Collections colleagues

Specialist registrar

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The best part about working with the collections at one of the Smithsonian museums are the experience and knowledge of your collections colleagues. There are multiple groups and forums devoted to every possible aspect of collections stewardship, and your colleagues are almost always willing to lend an ear or offer guidance when needed.

Cons

The federal bureaucracy is crushing.

5.0

Feb 23, 2022

I LOVE MY JOB!!!

Management specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I love my job, the colleagues, the collection, and the work I do for the historical and cultural preservation of American history and culture.

Cons

I wouldn't change careers even for a $1M.

2.0

Oct 21, 2021

Initially good, went downhill

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

"prestige" of working at the Smithsonian

Cons

Depends on the institution but bad leadership can really tank the experience Many people depend on the prestige to justify bad experiences

Viewing 37 - 39 of 508 Reviews

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Fred Hutch Cancer Center

3.5★Compensation & Benefits

DTE Energy

3.6★Compensation & Benefits

UNICEF

3.9★Compensation & Benefits

FHI 360

3.9★Compensation & Benefits

Jobs at Smithsonian

Museum Specialist (General)

Collections Move Coordinator

Museum Specialist (General)