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

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 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

5.0

Jul 16, 2015

Sothebys London

Receptionist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Extremely friendly, a lot of fairly young staff, but also many much older people whose expertise is valued. A real feeling of community across all levels of the company.

Cons

I assume that the pay will never be very high, as it is a prestigious name with a top reputation, well deserved, in the art world

5.0

Feb 20, 2015

Sotheby's internship

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The people and environment were great, I really enjoyed my time here.

Cons

I don't think my internship was long enough for me to get more complex projects; it would have been nice to have more things to do, but I can understand how tricky it is to have to invest the time to train someone when they won't be there that long.

2.0

Feb 8, 2015

Intern

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great colleagues. Interesting people coming from all backgrounds

Cons

Chaotic management, informal unstrctured company culture.

Viewing 646 - 648 of 650 Reviews

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Jobs at Sotheby's

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Sotheby's

Sotheby's reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Sothebys London

Sotheby's internship

Intern

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Jobs at Sotheby's