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

Skip to content Skip to footer

Notifications

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

2.0

Jul 31, 2015

Administrator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing art work. Team Spirit (If you are lucky enough to be in a functional department) The ID gets you into many great museums for free Health Insurance

Cons

Pay. This is common in this industry; however, the pay is way too low. Always negotiate for more. Upper Management and C-Suite are out of touch with majority of staff Lack of opportunities, even if you are willing to take classes outside of your immediate role, the company does not like to consider you for other business areas.

3.0

Jul 24, 2015

Highly mismanaged executive staff

Gloobal security manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great artwork, security team is excellent

Cons

management team is very out of touch

5.0

Jul 21, 2015

Specialist - Asian Contemporary art/Chinese art

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great company to develop a career in the fine and decorative arts

Cons

The pay is low so it can be tough living off the salaries in NYC

Viewing 595 - 597 of 650 Reviews

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Park West Gallery

4.3★Compensation & Benefits

Purple Wave

3.8★Compensation & Benefits

Harvard Art Museums

4.3★Compensation & Benefits

Jensen Jewelers

3.8★Compensation & Benefits

Jobs at Sotheby's

Merchandising Manager