Great experience! - Anonymous employee Smithsonian Employee Review

5.0
Oct 22, 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Very collegial work environment with extremely smart people. Work-life balance is fantastic. The agency values learning and diversity. Benefits are also good.

Cons

Takes a long time for things to change, though I think this is true of most government agencies. Pay is not as good as private companies, but still much better than most government agencies.

Explore other reviews about Smithsonian

5.0
Jun 8, 2026
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
Jun 6, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There is a strong community and network in museum and natural science collections and support.

Cons

Working conditions have a standard of museum environment settings, not ideal for those that desire to be outside all day.

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