Contextualising Compensation for Medium and Large Galleries: A Follow-Up to the 2025 Art Market Talent Report

Following the release of our Art Market Talent Report 2025 in partnership with ArtTactic, we received thoughtful feedback from several clients. Some expressed surprise at the salaries presented in the report, questioning whether they might be overpaying their teams.

It’s a valid concern, and one that highlights the importance of taking a closer look at how broader market data relates to your specific business context.

The salary data featured in our report, which drew on a considerable spread of salaries, reflects median figures from a broad cross-section of organisations, including smaller and younger businesses. Given the reported dissatisfaction with pay across all regions, combined with rising financial pressure and ongoing transparency gaps, it’s important to take a nuanced view when applying this data to your own business, particularly if operating at scale.

To provide greater clarity, we isolated a dataset more representative of our core client base: medium to large, well-established art businesses.

The mean salary figures we’ve published here, based on a more concentrated dataset, reflect the current expectations of candidates in these spaces, many of whom are increasingly attuned to their market value and the real cost of living in global art hubs. If you are looking to attract and retain exceptional talent, ensuring your compensation packages remain competitive is crucial.

Rather than seeing these figures as prescriptions, we encourage clients to treat them as a starting point for deeper strategic dialogue. Compensation is only one part of the retention equation, but when handled thoughtfully, it sends a powerful signal about your business’s values and culture; something today’s employees and jobseekers are paying close attention to.

To ensure clients are in-tune and in-line with the market, we offer bespoke salary benchmarking and tailored market insights, helping clients position themselves with confidence. Whether you’re preparing for growth, sense-checking an offer, or evaluating team structures, we’re here to help you make informed, confident decisions.