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

3.0

Feb 11, 2025

Micromanagement

Accounting manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Mega auction house with many expertises and professionals

Cons

Lowe salary, micromanagement, awful office space during Covid

2.0

Feb 10, 2025

meh

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Fun exhibitions, cool objects for sale and interesting events

Cons

Low base pay and rare overtime, few opportunities for promotion, company overall does not take care of their employees

3.0

Feb 10, 2025

Good experience, poor pay and work/life balance

Specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Had great experience travelling, working with clients, very interesting work

Cons

Minimal work/life balance with low pay. Leadership is pretty old school

Viewing 58 - 60 of 650 Reviews

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Jobs at Sotheby's

Merchandising Manager