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 59 reviews)); "Colleagues are great and you get to work with wonderful clients and artworks" ((in 55 reviews)); "Great team and intern class" ((in 18 reviews)); "Great working environment in the office" ((in 14 reviews)); "Great opportunity to get to know the auction and private sale art market at a prestigious art auction house!" ((in 14 reviews))

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

"pay is low and not appreciated" ((in 76 reviews)); "Management is poor" ((in 49 reviews)); "No upper mobility and low salaries" ((in 46 reviews)); "Long hours and weekends sometimes" ((in 17 reviews)); "Not very good compensation and no work/life balance" ((in 16 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

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (650 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

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).

Reviews by job title

650 reviews

3.0

May 4, 2026

Slow & steady decline

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Legacy Industry with access to unique products (art, books, jewelry etc)

Cons

Low pay Lots of work Bad company reputation Revolving door

3.0

Apr 15, 2026

Ehhhh

Pre sale coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great PTO and holidays. Cool perks and experiences and exposure to art/luxury goods

Cons

Disorganized management. Entry level pay is bad across the industry. Very difficult to grow out of entry level

3.0

Mar 20, 2026

Good experience

Operations manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Expose to very different industry and interesting objects/art

Cons

Little to no progression Pay is lower than other industry

Viewing 4 - 6 of 650 Reviews

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Jobs at Sotheby's

Client Experience Coordinator