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 53 reviews)); "Great team and intern class" ((in 17 reviews)); "Great working environment in the office" ((in 15 reviews)); "the benefits are good" ((in 14 reviews))

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

"pay is low and not appreciated" ((in 74 reviews)); "No upper mobility and low salaries" ((in 47 reviews)); "Long hours and weekends sometimes" ((in 19 reviews)); "Not very good compensation and no work/life balance" ((in 16 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

22% 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

4.0

Mar 22, 2025

Research in Contemporary Art

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Offers great learning opportunities and an amazing team, well-versed in art history, the market, and artwork conservation. It is an excellent training ground for those pursuing a career in the art world

Cons

Fast-paced and highly demanding environment; expect a significant increase in workload and extra hours around sales periods.

3.0

Mar 21, 2025

It is a Company.

Vp marketing

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

You have exposure to a lot of wonderful and rare things!

Cons

Financially it is an absolute nightmare. Vendors and freelancers aren't paid on time and it doesn't seem like there is a plan to make the company employees ever bonus eligible again.

1.0

Mar 19, 2025

THE WORST PLACE

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

None! Dont even work here its not worth it

Cons

the absolutely worst place to work extremely toxic environment and everyone came and left this place even senior leadership because of how bad this place was

Viewing 52 - 54 of 650 Reviews

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Jobs at Sotheby's