Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance — Average Employee Salary

The average employee in the automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance industry earns $65,103 per year ($31.30/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.

$65,103
Avg Annual Pay
255,721
Total Employees
35,584
Total Establishments
7
Avg Employees/Business

What Do Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance Workers Earn?

At $65,103/year (equivalent to $31.30/hour for a full-time worker), automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance wages are near the national average of ~$65,000.

The typical automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance business employs 7 people. These are mid-sized operations where payroll is a significant but manageable expense.

Wages as a Percentage of Revenue

43.9%

For the average automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance business generating $1.0M/year with 7 employees at $65,103 each, total payroll represents roughly 43.9% of revenue. Labor is a significant cost but leaves room for other expenses and profit.

What This Means for Business Owners

If you're starting or running a automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenancebusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:

  • Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $84,634/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
  • Typical team size: 7 employees = ~$455,721/year in base payroll.
  • Hourly equivalent: $31.30/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
  • Revenue needed: With average revenue of $1.0M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.

See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.

View full Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance revenue benchmarks →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance employees make?
The average automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance employee earns $65,103 per year, which is equivalent to $31.30/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is above the national average of approximately $65,000.
How many people work in the automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance industry?
The automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance industry employs 255,721 workers across 35,584 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 7 employees.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).