intern

security officer

environmental services technician

shift leader

environmental specialist

Seattle Art Museum

Great benefits (for office staff at least), great work to do, and lovely, caring people working throughout the museum. Unfortunately, like in many museums, the wealth gap and sociopolitical gap between management and everyone else is very real. The "us vs them" atmosphere only got worse when COVID hit and museum employees weren't given remote work stipends or proper equipment. Getting a raise is unbelievably difficult, it seems easier to get promoted and that's not easy either. The work week is 35 hours instead of 40, in a situation where hourly workers are already truly not paid enough to live in Seattle. And this is all not to mention the hostile architecture and anti-union measures (read all the news coverage before you consider working at SAM). 

First and foremost: they are fighting a union for the security guards that can’t afford to live anywhere near the city and therefore have a one or two hour commute. The organization had a lot of turn over when I worked there. There were some really weird choices during covid- they provided great benefits to those who did not get let go, but the people they did let go of were people who had been working at the museum for so long. One person just a year or two before she was able eligible to retire. It was ruthless. The lawyer and HR functioned as an active deterrent of any helpful change initiatives such as pay transparency and equitable raises. 

If you are into the arts, this is the place to work. It is one of the premiere art museums in the U.S. It constantly has top notch exhibits. However, management is every changing and as a result, many times things seem to be in chaos. Job security is iffy at best. The problem stems from cash flow. Being a non-profit, it is at the mercy of donors and sponsors. Too many times, staff is reduced due to financial reasons. Too bad. Hopefully, in a much more stronger economy, donations will go up and jobs reinstated.

Many of the Seattle Art Museum employees and volunteers are very welcoming- they would smile at you every time you walk past each other, and greet each other in the morning and when leaving. The workload was a little lacking, since there were more than one intern helping out in my department, but my supervisor(s) was very understanding and considerate. As an intern, I learned a lot about museum management, as well as museum projects, and observed all the thoughts and effort put into planning every exhibition.

Low wages, few bennies. Work schedule and therefore pay, fluctuate depending on exhibition calendar.
Supervisors very good at working around things like school schedules or other jobs.
Kind of cliquey, but what do you expect from art types ?
On your feet the whole time. Lunch and breaks can be difficult if too many co-workers call in with the ' Sunday morning flu' after payday.

the place here is good if you like to work in the culinary field however they also have a very clicky vibe going on in the kitchen area. As a new member at 1st you feel welcomed then you realize everyone has a second agenda and unfortunately it was a real life version of mean girls. I felt bullied and pushed into a corner with no positive help and forced to quit or be fired.
One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. Sadly. Perhaps it was an isolated incident.

The  SAM is a pleasant place to work. Being surrounded by art and people coming to view it is truly magical to observe. I am always thrilled to see people who take their time and admire the variety of art throughout the museum. I have enjoyed working there part-time off and on for the past 6 years and still hope to continue to have a connection with the museum in the future.

We say there are two employees at SAM:
-Employees who have arts degrees and/or work at an Art Museum.
-and employees who happen to work for an Art Museum.

This divide is really apparent in the day-to-day, and is part of a larger issue regarding communication in the Museum. with 501+ employees, communication between departments is really poor, communication between managers and staff can be even worse, somehow.

I really enjoyed every day working in such a wonderful collaborative environment. Company shows interest and support for their employees.
Each day was an opportunity to advance my skills and work collaboratively with other departments in working on projects and improving inefficiencies throughout all three museum sites.

After 6 years, my experience at SAM was enough to turn me off the arts completely. I’ve worked at several museums and the culture and leadership here was by far the most toxic. No support, no advancement, mediocre benefits, endless burnout. Designers competing for exhibitions. It’s a terrible creative environment. Do not recommend. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Intern 3 salaries reported	$20.94 per hour
Security officer 3 salaries reported	$25.14 per hour
Environmental services technician 5 salaries reported	$20.43 per hour
Shift leader 1 salary reported	$21.30 per hour
Environmental specialist 4 salaries reported	$22.76 per hour

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