Automotive Dealership Owners
Overview

Introduction
Automotive dealership owners are proprietors of retail businesses that sell cars exclusively from one or two manufacturers. Most dealerships are independently or family-owned franchises of an automotive manufacturer, such as Ford Motor Company or General Motors. In addition to retail services, dealerships provide maintenance services, repair services, and financing.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Earnings for automotive dealership owners vary widely and are greatly influenced by the ability of the individual owner, type of vehicles being sold, other services offered, and existing economic conditions. Some dealership owners may earn less than $50,000 a year, while the most successful owners earn $300,000 or more. According to Comparably.com, car dealership owners in the U.S. earned about...
Work Environment
Automotive dealerships are usually open every day except major holidays. Any professional working in this industry should expect long hours, especially during the evenings and on Saturdays. Busy times include the end of the month, when sales quotas are tallied, and during special promotions, such as a holiday or year-end clearance sales. Pressure or competition to sell is common to compete with...
Outlook
The automotive industry had stable dealership employment for several years leading up to 2020, as reported by the National Automobile Dealers Association in its midyear 2020 review. The coronavirus pandemic, however, has had a dramatic impact on the industry, with many automobile manufacturers and dealerships closed during stay-at-home and lock-down orders throughout the U.S. and in other count...