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 52 reviews)); "Great working environment in the office" ((in 16 reviews)); "Friendly teams and some interesting work." ((in 16 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 73 reviews)); "low salary and not much prospect" ((in 46 reviews)); "Long hours and weekends sometimes" ((in 20 reviews)); "Not very good compensation and no work/life balance" ((in 16 reviews)); "Some departments are still going through change and the culture is toxic in some places , although good in others" ((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

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

Dec 25, 2014

The top management are really out of touch........

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great artwork, some fantastic people, and nice place for a college grad......

Cons

Employee's are not respected, the top level management are really out of touch, and are not good for the long term business plan.......Dan Loeb, hurry up and clean house, before we lose serious market share

3.0

Dec 22, 2014

Great experience but low pay and no growth opportunities (unless you know someone)

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great experience working for a very old and respected brand. The experiences gained here you'll never find else where. During my time, I saw no less than three historic sales and witnessed some of the finest works ever made. Also, the employee parties are great! The events staff does a fantastic job.

Cons

Nepotism is rampant at this company. I've literally (not figuratively - literally) seen people promoted to experienced positions with 1-2 years experience simply because their family knows someone on the Board. Couple that with low pay relative to the market and you'll know why there is a ton of turnover.

3.0

Dec 11, 2014

Sotheby's

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

the art and the people

Cons

the salary and the upper management team

Viewing 610 - 612 of 650 Reviews

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Jobs at Sotheby's