Dealership jobs outpace average U.S. wages, NADA report finds

Dealership jobs outpace average U.S. wages, NADA report finds

The median weekly income for all employees at new-car dealerships increased 5.1 percent last year to $1,026, according to NADAês latest Dealership Workforce Study. On average, dealership staff earned nearly 29 percent more than other jobs in the private sector.

–Jobs at new-car dealerships have continued to outpace average U.S. wages and are some of the best-paying jobs available,” said NADA Chief Economist Steven Szakaly. –This highlights the importance of the retail auto industry to U.S. job growth, and how critical new-car dealerships have become in their communities across the country in providing high-paying, stable employment opportunities following the recession.”

Dealership productivity, measured as monthly gross profit per employee, increased 3.4 percent to $8,410 per month per employee in 2014.

High turnover for dealership salespeople remains a persistent problem, at 72 percent. Szakaly sees two reasons for this. One, many entry-level workers try auto sales and decide thatês not what they want to do. And second, he said, –automotive retailing is going through major industry changes, which is putting pressure on sales staff earnings.”

Staff turnover for other dealership positions is much lower, though it increased from 36 percent to 39 percent. Thatês still 5 percentage points lower than the 44 percent turnover in the entire private sector, as estimated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.