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 55 reviews)); "Colleagues are great and you get to work with wonderful clients and artworks" ((in 54 reviews)); "Great team and intern class" ((in 19 reviews)); "Great opportunity to get to know the auction and private sale art market at a prestigious art auction house!" ((in 17 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 70 reviews)); "low salary and not much prospect" ((in 48 reviews)); "Long hours and weekends sometimes" ((in 16 reviews)); "Not very good compensation and no work/life balance" ((in 14 reviews)); "Nepotism is rampant at this company." ((in 13 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

5.0

Sep 16, 2015

Fantastic Culture

Human resources administrator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Sotheby's London has the best culture. Everybody you work with is supportive and friendly. The ability to move around internally is brilliant, even across departments, and they truly invest in your development through a combination of formal training, and on the job learning opportunities. I couldn't recommend this place enough.

Cons

The only potential downside that sometimes slows things down are the old systems they use, but even these are now being looked at, and there are imminent plans to improve

3.0

Sep 15, 2015

Look for Opportunities

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Intelligent, hard-working co-workers. I am lucky to have worked with a series of great managers. Good environment to learn and grow professionally if you make the effort.

Cons

Not enough time to appreciate the art, furniture, decorative arts, jewelry, etc. our company handles. Near constant "hair-on-fire" mentality, and most people consider themselves too busy to plan ahead. Low pay.

4.0

Sep 9, 2015

Great staff, poor advancement

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The works that come through on a constant basis and the auction environment; the latter of these two can be hugely enjoyable, albeit in an extremely pressurised environment

Cons

Job advancement is extremely limited, and is more to do with timing than anything else; simply put, the turnover at a senior level is extremely limited, meaning advancement is more to do with being in the right place at the right time, rather than talent management

Viewing 583 - 585 of 650 Reviews

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Jobs at Sotheby's

Temporary Associate Cataloguer, Private Sales & Middle Market Auctions