Does Sotheby's pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Sotheby's employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.1 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Sotheby's. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Sotheby's?

21% of Sotheby's employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Sotheby's 2.6 out of 5 for work life balance, 2.3 for culture and values and 2.6 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Sotheby's?

Intern (53) , Administrator (23) , Specialist (23) , Floater (18) , Exhibition Assistant (15) , Associate (13) , Internship (13) , Cataloger (11) , Coordinator (10) , Marketing (9) , cataloguer (9) , Manager (8) , Administrative Assistant (7) , Project Manager (7) , Art Handler (6)

What are the pros of working at Sotheby's according to real employee reviews?

"The people are great and working with art is amazing" ((in 58 reviews)); "Colleagues are great and you get to work with wonderful clients and artworks" ((in 52 reviews)); "Beautiful team and great works of art" ((in 17 reviews)); "Great opportunity to get to know the auction and private sale art market at a prestigious art auction house!" ((in 16 reviews)); "Great working environment in the office" ((in 15 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Sotheby's according to real employee reviews?

"pay is low and not appreciated" ((in 78 reviews)); "Management is poor" ((in 48 reviews)); "low salary and not much prospect" ((in 46 reviews)); "Long hours and weekends sometimes" ((in 20 reviews)); "Poor leadership and management." ((in 15 reviews))

What are employees saying about Sotheby's layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Sotheby's layoffs and their outlook for job security at Sotheby's in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Sotheby's locations?

New York , Los Angeles , Miami , Charleston , Midtown New York , Margate City , Chicago , College Point , Port Chester , Lafayette , Sonoma , Aspen , Seattle , Atlanta , Upper East Side

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Sotheby's

Sotheby's reviews

2.5

21% would recommend to a friend

(650 total reviews)

Charles F. Stewart

12% approve of CEO

23% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

2.6

Work/Life balance

2.6

Career opportunities

2.3

Culture & values

2.2

Diversity & inclusion

2.1

Compensation and benefits

2.0

Senior management

Sotheby's has an employee rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars, based on 650 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Sotheby's employee rating is 29% below average for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.5 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

650 reviews

1.0

Mar 24, 2021

Old School

Specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

great place to see exceptional art

Cons

insulting pay, egotistical new CEO, disorganized management, not to mention complete lack of diversity in any leadership position

4.0

Jun 12, 2019

Great Company - No room for growth

Executive assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I came to Sotheby’s with a year of experience from the competitive auction house. There is a lot of freedom to learn and grow if you’re able to make connection internally with staff.

Cons

There is no career path for lower tiered staff and no mentorship from senior staff. It’s difficult to forge growth - not to mention the long hours and mounds of workload...

2.0

May 15, 2019

I didn't leave the South Side for this

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Proximity to fantastic art; glamorous parties and clients; cocktail party stories

Cons

Everyone seems overworked and underpaid. There is a culture of recrimination and finger pointing, trickling down from the top. It is not worth the stress and loss of personal life to work here.

Viewing 46 - 48 of 650 Reviews

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