Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance Revenue Benchmarks
The average automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance business in the United States generates $1.0M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 31,728 automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance businesses in the U.S., employing 231,698 workers with an average profit margin of 8.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $65K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance Business Actually Do?
Auto body shops repairing collision damage — dent removal, paint refinishing, frame straightening, interior repair. Heavy dependency on insurance claim work.
Who buys: Vehicle owners after accidents (insurance-paid), owners restoring older vehicles, fleet operators.
Average Revenue
$1.0M
per year
Profit Margin
8.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$142K
per year
Total Businesses
31,728
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$83K
small business avg
Labor Cost
38.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$65K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
9.6
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance Charge?
Auto body shops price per hour of labor plus parts, with insurance work at negotiated rates.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Labor rate (independent) | $60–100/hour |
Labor rate (dealer body shop) | $80–150/hour |
Insurance-negotiated rate | 20–30% below list |
Minor dent repair | $100–500 |
Full paint job | $3,500–15,000 |
Collision repair (major) | $3,000–20,000+ |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Supplies & materials | $16 | $168K | Direct consumables — parts for repair shops, chemicals for laundries, etc. |
Wages & benefits | $38 | $395K | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $11 | $112K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $5 | $56K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $22 | $224K | Insurance, licensing, tools, uniforms, small equipment. |
Net profit | $8 | $83K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
10.42%
openings/year
Closure Rate
9.1%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+3.4%
annual
Businesses Closed
12,052
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance Business?
Startup Cost
$30K – $150K
Break-Even
13 months
5-Year Survival Rate
50.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance business do?
- Auto body shops repairing collision damage — dent removal, paint refinishing, frame straightening, interior repair. Heavy dependency on insurance claim work. Vehicle owners after accidents (insurance-paid), owners restoring older vehicles, fleet operators.
- How much do automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance charge?
- Auto body shops price per hour of labor plus parts, with insurance work at negotiated rates. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance make per year?
- The average automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance business generates $1.0M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $83K per year at a 8.0% profit margin.
- How many automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance businesses are there in the US?
- There are 31,728 automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 231,698 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance business?
- Startup costs for a automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance business typically range from $30K to $150K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
- What is the average salary in the automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance industry?
- The average employee in the automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance industry earns $65K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance industry is actively growing — adding jobs at a net rate of 3.4% per year. New establishments are opening faster than existing ones close (10.4% entry vs 9.1% exit), indicating healthy demand.
Approximately 62% of automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 12,052 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance industry earns $65,103/year. This is near the national average of ~$65K. With 35,584 establishments employing 255,721 people, the typical business has about 7 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance industry has declined 2% since 2000 (from 138,176 to 135,684 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance revenue with other industries: