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

3.0

Sep 8, 2016

Too much work; too little money

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The Smithsonian Institution's mission is very important and it is a very interesting place to work. I was honored to be hired.

Cons

No work life balance. Job required 60 to 70 hours per week with minimal salary increases and no room for advancement.

3.0

Sep 7, 2016

Administrative Coordinator

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent Institution and very interesting to work at. Opportunities to meet some of the brightest researchers in the world. Behind the Scenes events make living in DC possible on a shoe string. Good people.

Cons

Working at the Institution is highly sought after so wages are not particularity good. If your not on the federal side of the employment structure your job security is not as robust, even if your are a top performer. Movement upwards can be frustratingly slow and the internal administrative systems are average so if feels like a large bureaucracy.

1.0

Aug 10, 2016

Smithsonian Security

Museum police officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The benefits are solid and it's guaranteed work. If you're working the day shift, the transit benefit covers commuting quite handily.

Cons

There's a massive list of problems. There is little to no hope of advancement if you didn't grow up in DC, OPS is a hardcore ole boys network, the union is a bad joke, SI staff are often actively hostile to anyone in a job that doesn't require a Masters Degree (Especially at the art museums). Frequent mandatory double shifts due to 2nd and 3rd shift being stacked with people who don't feel the need to show up for work, but have been around for too long to make getting rid of them an option.

Viewing 388 - 390 of 510 Reviews

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Supervisory Facility Operations Specialist

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