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 56 reviews)); "Colleagues are great and you get to work with wonderful clients and artworks" ((in 54 reviews)); "Beautiful team and great works of art" ((in 20 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 13 reviews))

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

"pay is low and not appreciated" ((in 77 reviews)); "No upper mobility and low salaries" ((in 44 reviews)); "Long hours and weekends sometimes" ((in 20 reviews)); "Poor leadership and management." ((in 15 reviews)); "Not very good compensation and no work/life balance" ((in 14 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

(651 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 651 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

651 reviews

1.0

Nov 17, 2015

Floater program

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great art, and some really nice, intelligent coworkers who are passionate about art.

Cons

Many of the employees are children/spouses of billionaire art collectors and are therefore unmotivated and not hardworking. In fact, one manager told me that sotheby's business model is to hire people who are independently wealthy. The floater program is essentially a means to abuse recent college graduates without providing them with a full time job even if there is no hope for a full time job in the future. Watch out for conniving/ manipulative employees!

2.0

Nov 15, 2015

Operations

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Can learn a great deal. People that work here have integrity and love what they do.

Cons

Growth opportunities based on who you know.

5.0

Nov 2, 2015

Photographs Department Intern

Intern

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Sotheby's is the top art auction in the world - any job opportunity with them gains invaluable professional experience. Wonderful environment and supportive staff.

Cons

It's long hours and not a lot of pay.

Viewing 577 - 579 of 651 Reviews

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Jobs at Sotheby's

Temporary Associate Cataloguer, Private Sales & Middle Market Auctions