Does SXSW pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, SXSW employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.4 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at SXSW. This rating has decreased by 9% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at SXSW?

63% of SXSW employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated SXSW 3.5 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.9 for culture and values and 3.3 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at SXSW?

Intern (13) , Internship (4) , Manager (3) , Production Intern (3) , Commercial Content Coordinator (2) , Conference Programmer (2) , Coordinator (2) , ES&R (2) , Marketing (2) , Marketing Intern (2) , Project Manager (2) , Promotional Materials Crew Volunteer (2) , Stage Manager (2) , Volunteer (2)

What are the pros of working at SXSW according to real employee reviews?

"Great people to work with" ((in 21 reviews)); "Fantastic benefits, too!" ((in 6 reviews)); "Very supportive in all matters, great work/life balance" ((in 4 reviews)); "Inspiring workplace, friendly staff, opportunity to connect with best in class." ((in 4 reviews)); "SXSW is a great work environment." ((in 3 reviews))

What are the cons of working at SXSW according to real employee reviews?

"Long hours closer to the conference" ((in 9 reviews)); "Unpaid internship and no parking reimbursement" ((in 6 reviews)); "Pay can be low." ((in 5 reviews)); "bad management, bad attitudes, bad pay, bad vibes" ((in 3 reviews)); "department work can be difficult at first but people are willing to work together." ((in 3 reviews))

What are employees saying about SXSW redundancies in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about SXSW redundancy and their outlook for job security at SXSW in 2026.

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SXSW

SXSW Reviews

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3.8

63% would recommend to a friend

(77 total reviews)

Hugh Forrest

100% approve of CEO

45% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.9

Culture and values

3.7

Diversity and inclusion

3.5

Work/Life balance

3.4

Senior management

3.4

Compensation and benefits

3.3

Career opportunities

SXSW has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 77 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The SXSW employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Arts, entertainment and recreation industry (3.9 stars).

Reviews by job title

77 reviews

3.0

23 Jul 2018

Good Company

Accountant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Worked here as an accountant.

Cons

Don't take this thing seriously.

3.0

22 Aug 2015

SXSW

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Laidback work environment, casual atmosphere, good location, offers great experience wearing multiple hats to recent grads. Opportunity to make nationally + internationally based high profile contacts.

Cons

Low pay, disorganized management, tenured employees are not open to innovative new ideas, lots of territorial disputes and infighting, all white male leadership with terrible pregnancy policy and not great insurance options.

1.0

12 Mar 2020

sinking ship

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

"cool job", nice office views

Cons

Majority of staff is severely underpaid, and given more work every year but not compensated for extra responsibilities. CEO / leadership openly does not care about employees. Most of management is incompetent and the work place culture is extremely toxic. No opportunities for growth but they'll work you to the bone while they have you. Recent layoffs with more to come.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 77 Reviews

Jobs at SXSW

Project Manager - Digital Product

Associate Comedy Festival Programmer

Sr. Director of Product

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