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 66 reviews)); "Good benefits and bear transit" ((in 35 reviews)); "Great staff I enjoyed my time there." ((in 21 reviews)); "Amazing opportunities to work on global projects and collaborate with internationally celebrated artists and scholars." ((in 18 reviews)); "Coworkers are friendly and well" ((in 16 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 28 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)); "Low salary for DC metropolitan area" ((in 11 reviews)); "Long hours and very administrative at times" ((in 9 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

(508 total reviews)

Dr. David J. Skorton

75% approve of CEO

64% positive business outlook

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

2.0

Mar 21, 2025

work undervalued

Mountmaker

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

health care compensation professional development opportunities

Cons

core work undervalued and not supported limited resources siloed work environment

4.0

Mar 21, 2025

Great learning oppotunity

Explainer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Metro benefits, flexible schedule, overall easy job.

Cons

Too much political correctness in the organization and too many Democrats.

3.0

Mar 18, 2025

Hard to grow

Education specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Stability Great team Amazing institution

Cons

Bureaucracy Red tape to push new things through Slow pace

Viewing 103 - 105 of 508 Reviews

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Jobs at Smithsonian

Museum Specialist (General)

Collections Move Coordinator

Museum Specialist (General)