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

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

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (508 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

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).

Reviews by job title

508 reviews

4.0

Oct 15, 2012

I've worked for 16 years at The Smithsonian Institution

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The scientific community is wonderful. You have a chance to discuss current science with some of the brightest minds in the world. Most people are highly motivated to be working with the Smithsonian.

Cons

Since most managers are scientists by training, there is an uneven set of training among managers. The pay can be much lower than industry given your experience and you are set to the government budget.

4.0

Sep 18, 2012

Once-in-a-lifetime experience in the Panamanian rainforest with incredible community of international scientists.

Research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Looks good on resume Varied work experience Opportunities for international community outreach Opportunity to learn / practice Spanish Vibrant international community Living in the rainforest

Cons

Low pay Red tape and slow paperwork processing Problems with receiving packages and other mail Difficult to find housing Limited transportation to and from Panama City Closest grocery store, entertainment 30+ minutes away by bus

4.0

Aug 22, 2012

internship with smithsonian tropical research institute

Intern

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

they are real professionals. they are helpful, knowledgeable and creative. they give their interns a chance to learn as much as possible, encourage them to go to seminars. they are also social and help people adjust to the new environment. they also give recommendations for further positions.

Cons

the research station is isolated which can be exotic and interesting, but also inconvenient sometimes because of bad transportation to the capital.

Viewing 499 - 501 of 508 Reviews

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Jobs at Smithsonian

Museum Specialist (General)

Collections Move Coordinator

Museum Specialist (General)

Administrative Officer

Smithsonian

Smithsonian reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

I've worked for 16 years at The Smithsonian Institution

Once-in-a-lifetime experience in the Panamanian rainforest with incredible community of international scientists.

internship with smithsonian tropical research institute

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Jobs at Smithsonian