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 4% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Smithsonian?

62% 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 70 reviews)); "Smithsonian has pretty good benefits" ((in 38 reviews)); "Great staff I enjoyed my time there." ((in 18 reviews)); "Great coworkers and behind the scenes access to museum collections" ((in 17 reviews)); "Amazing opportunities to work on global projects and collaborate with internationally celebrated artists and scholars." ((in 15 reviews))

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

"low pay too much red tape" ((in 28 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 9 reviews))

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Smithsonian

Smithsonian Reviews

4.0

62% would recommend to a friend

(508 total reviews)

Dr. David J. Skorton

75% approve of CEO

57% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.3

Diversity and inclusion

4.1

Work/Life balance

4.0

Culture and values

3.7

Compensation and benefits

3.4

Senior management

3.4

Career opportunities

Smithsonian has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 508 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Smithsonian employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Non-profit and NGO industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

508 reviews

4.0

9 Jun 2026

Great company, great position, just stifled by federal regulations

Associate director

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Amazing mission-driven organization; wanted to create a positive experience for all staff and visitors.

Cons

Long commuting distance; inflexible telework

5.0

8 Jun 2026

Strong mission and benefits, sometimes bureaucratic delays exist

Project manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Great mission. Strong benefits including health insurance and 403b contribution. Many people stick around for 5, 10, 15+ years.

Cons

Things are sometimes slow due to bureaucracy.

4.0

12 May 2026

Welcoming environment with limited growth opportunities

Specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Incredible environment, very welcoming. Very cool and interesting work.

Cons

Not a lot of growth opportunities, you have to apply to new positions, sometimes out of your unit to grow.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 508 Reviews

Jobs at Smithsonian

Building Services Worker

Associate Director, Horticulture & Operations

Visitor Experience Representative, IS-1001-05

Operations Coordinator, IS-0301-11