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

Mar 15, 2012

It was unstructured but fun.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The people you get exposed to is amazing - the clients, colleagues, are all very interesting.

Cons

You do not get a lot of recognition there.

3.0

Mar 14, 2012

ok

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

to gain experience in the business

Cons

career opportunities are limited for junior staff members

3.0

Apr 30, 2011

Interesting

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible, fast-paced environment! Interesting responsibilities.

Cons

Very uncompetitive salaries. Hard to get promoted.

Viewing 643 - 645 of 650 Reviews

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Jobs at Sotheby's

Global Shipping Manager

Client Experience Coordinator