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

Skip to content Skip to footer

Notifications

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

3.0

Oct 24, 2025

work-life balance, low salary, toxic manager

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

work life balance still fine, sometimes need to OT

Cons

selfish and toxic manager who didn't have integrity and played politics

3.0

Oct 17, 2025

Pre Sale @ Sotheby's

Pre sale coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Lots of responsibilities, you see great art, become a pro of auctions

Cons

Pay does not reflect how much work is put in, poor career growth

1.0

Oct 16, 2025

Do you really need a job like this?

Client service representative

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Get to see Great exhibitions and artworks

Cons

Toxic environment, terrible management. Low morale and wage

Viewing 22 - 24 of 650 Reviews

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Christie's

3.5★Compensation & Benefits

Park West Gallery

4.3★Compensation & Benefits

Heritage Auctions

4.1★Compensation & Benefits

Purple Wave

3.8★Compensation & Benefits

Jobs at Sotheby's