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 68 reviews)); "Good benefits and bear transit" ((in 34 reviews)); "Great staff I enjoyed my time there." ((in 20 reviews)); "Coworkers are friendly and well" ((in 19 reviews)); "Amazing opportunities to work on global projects and collaborate with internationally celebrated artists and scholars." ((in 18 reviews))

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

"Pay is low but definitely no lower than industry standards." ((in 32 reviews)); "Lack of leadership and hard to fire" ((in 14 reviews)); "Low salary for DC metropolitan area" ((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 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

Jun 7, 2016

Intern Review

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great place to network and learn. Set in downtown DC offers many places to explore outside of the museum.

Cons

Can get slow and boring, lack of challenging work.

4.0

Jun 3, 2016

Great Institution and Great People

Intern

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Some great people working on behalf of an incredible cause

Cons

Bureaucracy at its finest; some staff have been in the Institution for quite some time -- stuck in old habits

2.0

May 29, 2016

Great experience only for people under 28 years old

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

This is a review for the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. In particular for the temporary jobs that usually open for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The Festival is amazing and to be part of the experience is rewarding. You get to do your job and to learn about the cultures that at showcased at the Festival.

Cons

Most of people that work on the Festival are contractors and very young (23-28). They do not know how to cooperate as a team because each one has a specific task and they work individually. This is very young and competitive people, and not a collaborative culture. The Director doesn't cooperate, she changes her mind and lacks of leadership. Too bad such a great experience is filled with chaos and lack of cooperation.

Viewing 397 - 399 of 510 Reviews

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