Salaries in the art industry are a sadly opaque subject. Indeed, there are still those who remember that wealthy families sometimes used to pay the big auction houses to hire their young people as junior staff.
Those days are over. But now, is it better to be an auction specialist or to work in the press team? In the sale of galleries or logistics? In New York or London?
Recruiters get the best overview of salaries, which is why specialist recruitment company Sophie Macpherson Ltd (SML) decided to pool their data to spread the word about the dosh of the art world.
Today it publishes the first SML Art Market Salary Report 2023, to be produced every two years, analyzing UK and US salaries between January and December 2022 in commercial galleries , fairs, auction houses, reviews and related technology companies. The report, compiled by SML senior researcher Robyn Orovwuje-Forbes, used data from compensation packages it negotiated in 2022 and recruiting budgets shared by employers as primary data sources, and does not include than base salaries.
Courtesy of Sophie Macpherson Ltd
The report, according to a statement, found “a significant increase in wage rates in the global art world since before the pandemic, with the most significant changes recorded in the United States” – a statement with which everyone will not agree. (SML, like most recruiters, will be brought in most often for senior hires, so the data may be skewed toward the highest final salaries.) The report found that the highest base salaries were in shopping malls, where pre-commission salaries for the most senior salesperson hires reached $425,000 (in the US) or £250,000 (in the UK) per year.
Courtesy of Sophie Macpherson Ltd
SML also reports that it saw the largest increase in search demand in the US, up 200%, according to the report, in US regions outside of New York (Los Angeles in particular). He also attributes a reported increase in hiring in Europe to Brexit-related difficulties in importing and exporting art.
On the other hand, the SML report reveals that UK entry salaries remain shockingly low, starting at around £22,500.
“Now more than ever, with multiple factors including the effects of the pandemic, inflation, rising costs of living, cross-industry movements and regional considerations influencing and informing job vacancies negotiations, it important to have a realistic view of both what is achievable and what is expected to attract and retain talent,” reads the introduction to the report. One of the report’s key findings is that employers are increasingly required “to be more upfront and open about the base salary they offer”, which is being encouraged in the United States by new labor laws. transparency introduced in Nov. 2022.
Courtesy of Sophie Macpherson
But transparency isn’t enough – employees at a higher level, at least, (and particularly in business development and sales roles) are apparently becoming more demanding of reward structures such as bonuses and bonuses. benefit plans. And at the very top of the ladder, candidates expect one-time salaries, especially when coming from other (higher-paying) sectors such as technology, luxury and finance.
Want to earn the most in the art world? Aim for a business development or senior sales position at a major international auction house or contemporary art gallery, where salaries can reach seven figures.
Here’s SML’s rundown of the highs and lows of art industry salaries, by industry (all figures quoted are average base salaries, excluding bonuses or commissions, per year):
Art advice
Assistants can expect to earn £30,000-40,000 (UK) or £47,000-90,000 (US) while Senior Directors earn over £100,000 (UK) or £200,000. $ (US).
Art fairs
Exhibitor relations cost between £24,000 and £36,000 (UK) or between $60,000 and $85,000 (US). Fair managers can expect £65,000 or more in the UK and over $120,000 in the US.
Artists’ studios
Studio assistants are paid between £25,000 and £55,000 (UK) or between $57,000 and $105,000 (US), while directors earn between £50,000 and £150,000 (UK) or between $100,000 000 and $200,000 (US).
Auction houses (company)
Executive assistants earn £45,000-60,000 (UK) or $48,000-70,000 (US) rising to £50,000-130,000 (UK) or $90,000-180,000 ( US) for company directors.
Auction houses (specialists)
Sales coordinators are the lowest paid, between £25,000 and £32,000 (UK) or between $45,000 and $75,000 (US). In the UK, the highest position is that of a senior director (£130,000 and above), while in the US, senior vice presidents earn the highest salaries: $350,000 or more.
Shopping malls
Gallery assistants start at around £23,000 to £30,000 (UK) or $40,000 to $70,000 (US). Besides senior sales, in the UK, communications managers and finance managers tend to earn the most, between £45,000 and £120,000 (communications) or between £49,000 and £120,000 (finance). Meanwhile, in the United States, artist liaison officers and exhibition managers earn between $103,000 and $213,000. But it’s business services that pay the most: UK senior business managers earn between £213,000 and £250,000 while partners in the US can command $400,000 or more.
Communication agencies
Those with one to three years of experience earn between £29,000 and £41,000 (UK) or between $55,000 and $75,000 (US) and between £55,000 and £110,000 (UK) or between $80,000 and $163,000 (US) for those with nine or more years in the job.
Companies in the alternative art world and arts technology
In the UK, salaries in this nebulous category start at around £25,000 to £60,000 for people in business development, while staff in management positions can earn upwards of £65,000. In the United States, customer service roles start at around $45,000 to $75,000 and reach $150,000 or more for management positions.
The full report is available at SML website.
