Does Smithsonian pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Smithsonian employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.6 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Smithsonian. This rating has improved by 4% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Smithsonian?

69% of Smithsonian employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Smithsonian 4.2 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.1 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 23 reviews)); "Great coworkers and behind the scenes access to museum collections" ((in 19 reviews)); "Great work environment." ((in 17 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)); "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 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

69% would recommend to a friend

(510 total reviews)

Dr. David J. Skorton

80% approve of CEO

64% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.3

Diversity & inclusion

4.2

Work/Life balance

4.1

Culture & values

3.6

Compensation and benefits

3.5

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

May 30, 2015

Visitor Services Intern at Air and Space Museum

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

You are given a lot of responsibility and trust, including acting as the coordinator on duty at the Welcome Desk daily

Cons

None it was an amazing summer

5.0

May 19, 2015

Conservation Lab Intern

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

First time interning at the Smithsonian, at Smithsonian Institution Archives. The staff were absolutely wonderful and a thrill to work with. Learned so much during my 8 weeks; I wish it was longer. Mentor was a great reference and I was able to network a lot for future opportunities (landed another internship for Summer 2015 at a different Smithsonian museum). Still keep in touch with staff to this day. I greatly recommend this internship.

Cons

There were no negative points to this internship

3.0

May 14, 2015

No Potential for Career Growth

Educational programs coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Fantastic, creative co-workers Interesting work that keeps you on your toes Good Benefits

Cons

long hours with no recognition Upper Management refuses to acknowledge low morale Jobs are dead end - you have to leave and go elsewhere, then come back a couple years later if you want to advance. There is virtually no promotion from within.

Viewing 433 - 435 of 510 Reviews

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