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Commercial art gallery manager : Salary and conditions

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  1. Job description
  2. Salary and conditions
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Case studies

  • Range of typical starting salaries: £15,000 - £19,000 plus sales-related bonus.
  • Range of salaries with three to five years' experience: £20,000 - £28,500 plus sales-related bonus. Salaries may be higher in well-established galleries.
  • Range of typical salaries at senior levels: £35,000 plus.
  • Many first appointments are unpaid, or expenses only at best. Salaries vary widely. Managers running their own gallery may earn a very low salary in the first years of setting up their business.
  • Some galleries pay commission to more experienced members of staff, in addition to paying a salary, so for good sales people there can be scope to make a reasonable income.
  • Working hours are linked to gallery opening hours, which are usually 10am - 5.30/6pm during the week, with a shorter working day on Saturday. However, flexibility is essential as the working day rarely finishes when the gallery closes. For example, if the gallery is preparing for an exhibition, the day finishes when the exhibition is ready. Some galleries are only open for part of the week.
  • Larger galleries may operate on an international level, so it may be necessary to work unsocial hours to accommodate time differences.
  • Galleries are often staffed by small teams, which can make for a friendly and informal working environment. Some gallery managers work as sole traders.
  • Many of the big galleries are based in London. Many galleries have offices in regional centres in the UK, as well as internationally. In Scotland for example, there is a growing and respected gallery sector with an international outlook. Smaller independent galleries are spread throughout the UK.
  • There is the possibility of travel, both nationally and internationally, supervising touring exhibitions, attending art fairs and auctions, and promoting gallery activities and events.
 
AGCAS
Written by AGCAS editors
Date: 
April 2011
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