How Much Money Do Car Salesmen Make

One of the most asked questions of anyone considering a car salesman career is how much do car salesmen make. My standard answer is that they make as much as they want to make because they work for a car sales commission. In other words their earnings are based on the amount of cars they sell, which is dictated by the specific pay plan that the dealership (where they are employed) uses to compensate their salespeople. If you check out the Bureau of Labor and Statistics you will discover that in 2011 the average car salesman earned slightly over $42,000 a year for an average of about $20 an hour. That averages out to approximately 42 hours a week. Not what I would consider the average hours worked where car salesmen are concerned, but we will get into that later. If are wondering do car salesman get paid hourly you need to learn more about working on commission and the earning potential available to the car salesperson.

How Much Do Car Salesmen Make a Year

Scary Car Salesman Earnings

Let's take a little closer look at these numbers about how much do car salesmen make. If we break this down a little further the bottom 10% of car salesmen (car saleswomen included) are earning about $18,000 a year and the top 10% are earning about $75,000 a year or more. If we break that down even more the bottom 10% are earning an average of hourly wage of about $8.70 an hour and the top 10% are earning about $36.00 an hour (I doubt that). Remember, I am using the numbers from United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

Have you changed your mind about how to become a car salesman yet? Well, don't be too quick to pass judgment on a car sales career just yet. Don't let these numbers scare you because a variety of other reliable sources are reporting how much does a car salesman make as being considerably higher. These other sources also have looked at the professional car salesman earnings a little closer and they are stating that there is a difference between salespeople that sell new cars or used cars and a combination of both (My personal favorite). How Much Do Car Salesmen Make a Year

You also need to keep something in mind when you are asking how much do car salesmen make. The statistics used include numbers from large metro area car dealerships and those that sell used and buy here pay here cars on the corner where an old gas station was once located. These numbers may also include the two or three man operation that buys and fixes up old beaters to sell and part-time employees that may do the repairs as well as sell cars. These operations could be located in small one-horse rural towns that only sell a couple cars a week. It's all relative, but my primary objective here it to educate you on how much a professional car salesman earns on an annual basis.

Realistic Car Salesman Earnings

I have spent many years in the car business working in many different car sales capacities and in my travels, I have visited with numerous professional car salesmen and women. I have discovered that there is no such thing as average when it comes to a car salesman salary or how much do car salesmen make. I have heard of car salespeople making anywhere from $25,000 a year to $250,000 a year. To be fair those that were earning in the $25,000 range were often working in small towns and rural areas and being paid a flat fee per car sale. There were rarely spiffs, bonuses or incentives for the car salesman to sell more cars or reach a determined number of units for a bonus. There were a few that were working in the same size dealerships as car salespeople earning a six figure income selling cars. These were either newbies or those that needed to get with the program or thinking about changing careers. The top car salesmen earners were typically located in metro and or suburban areas. Most of the salespeople in these areas ranged from $45,000 a year all the way up to $250,000 a year.

Recently I talked to a car salesman in the Chicago Suburban area that earned $234,000 in 2012. He sold new and used and he has been selling cars for approximately 15 years. He worked quite a few more hours than forty a week, in fact, he said on average he worked about 60 hours weekly. He takes three weeks of vacation every year and occasionally a day off now and then. That is what you call a car sales professional and is definitely not concerned about the average commission for a car salesman.

If you are thinking about being a car salesman will you focus on the bottom car sales salary or will you be shooting for top 10 or 20%? If all you can think about is living on how much do car salesmen make that are among the bottom 10% of their profession don't bother. Find some other way to earn a living because there isn't any room for those that want to earn the average salary of a car salesman. The required car sales skills for being a success don't include a desire to be mediocre.

To all of you car salespeople out there that are selling cars for a living please go to the bottom of the page and fill out the anonymous survey about how much do car salesmen make a year. Please answer all of the questions (or it won't be published) and don't worry about your identity. I will not publish any email addresses or anything that will identify you or your dealership. This will give other visitors to this car salesman website an idea of the earning potential of a car salesperson or lack of. I will add information to the chart below as you guys and girls fill out the survey.

How Much Do Car Salesmen Make a Year Survey

Car Salesman Earnings	State	New, Used or Both	Car Brand	Metro or Rural	Years Selling Cars
$72,000	IN	Both	Chevy	Metro	8
$81,600	NY	Both	Ford	Metro	11
$33,000	MN	Both	Ford	Rural	2
$47,000	FL	Both	Toyota	Metro	3
$69,500	IL	Both	Nissan	Metro	4
$51,000	IL	Used	N/A	Metro	3
$117,000	IL	Both	Toyota	Metro	6
$27,350	WI	Used	N/A	Metro	3
$92,700	IN	Both	Chevy	Metro	13
$41,000	NV	Both	Dodge	Metro	5
$63,000	CA	New	Toyota	Metro	9
$94,000	TX	Both	Ford	Metro	17
$39,500	OH	Used	N/A	Metro	3
$46,000	IL	Both	Honda	Metro	4
$55,000	IN	Both	Ford	Metro	6
$43,000	IA	Both	Toyota	Metro	4
$87,000	MN	Both	Chevy	Metro	8
$33,000	WI	Both	Hyundai	Metro	3
$45,000	OH	Both	Dodge	Metro	1
$59,000	WI	Both	Nissan	Metro	1
$80,000	PA	New	Chevy-Caddy	Rural	8
$62,000	CT	Both	Volkswagen	Metro	1
$105,000	BC*	Used	N/A	Metro	10
$115,000	CA	Both	Ford	Metro	6
$24,000	WI	Both	KIA	Rural	1
$52,000	AL	Both	Chevy	Rural	19
$55,000	ID	Both	Chevy	Rural	5
$99,600	TX	Both	Honda	Metro	1
$72,000	NC	Both	Ford	Rural	23
$75,000	CA	Both	Ford	Metro	2
$67,000	NE	Both	Chevy	Metro	4
$100,000	IN	Both	Ford	Metro	15
$65,000	NJ	Both	BMW	Rural	15
$42,000	PA	Both	Chrysler	Metro	2
$87,500	PA	Both	KIA	Rural	6
$100,000	OH	Both	Chrysler	Metro	1
$55,000	MA	Both	Nissan-Honda	Metro	3
$52,000	ND	Both	Ford	Rural	1
$98,000	FL	Both	Hyundai	Metro	3
$121,700	IN	Both	Buick-GMC	Metro	5
$50,000	CO	Used	N/A	Metro	1
$65,000	NJ	Both	Honda	Metro	1
$65,000	TX	Both	Chevy	Metro	1
$60,000	NY	Both	Chevy-Buick-GMC	Rural	3
$75,000	MN*	Both	KIA	Metro	1
$65,000	NJ	Both	Honda	Rural	2
$30,000	MD	Both	Ford	Metro	2
$41,500	GA	New	Honda	Metro	3
$55,000	TX	Both	Nissan	Rural	5
$52,000	FL	New	Honda	Metro	7
$70,000	IA	Both	Subaru	Metro	2
$60,000	*MAY	New	Subaru	Metro	2
$53,214	SC	Both	Volkswagen	Metro	2.5
$100,000	TX	Both	Ford	Rural	3
$60,000	TX	Both	GMC-Honda	Rural	1
$180,000	Can*	Both	Multiple	Metro	2
$65,000	MI	Both	Ford	Metro	2
$75,000	WI	Used	Chevy	Metro	2
$144,000	NY	Both	Toyota-KIA	Metro	1
$60,000	PA	Both	Chevy	Metro	2
$55,000	ID	Both	Mazda-Subaru	Rural	1
$141,000	TX	Both	BMW	Metro	12
$85,000	SD	Both	Buick-GMC	Metro	2
$80,000	FL	Both	Nissan	Metro	1
$64,000	MS	Both	Nissan	Metro	2
$82,800	TX	New	Honda	Metro	16
$70,000	KY	New	Volvo	Metro	22
$45,000	FL	Used	Chevy	Rural	1
$60,000	MI	Both	Buick-Caddy-GMC	Metro	4
$48,500	MA	Both	Ford-Lincoln-Nissan	Metro	1
$90,000	IN	Both	Buick-Caddy-GMC	Metro	2
$165,000	UT	Both	Mazda	Metro	9
$55,000	MI	Both	Ford	Metro	6
$39,000	WI	Both	Mazda	Metro	2
$66,375	Moscow,Russia	New	Volkswagen	Metro	6
$60,000	Ireland	Both	Volkswagen	Rural	18
$50,000	NC	Both	Ford	Metro	1
$87,000	Alberta, Can*	Both	Toyota	Metro	2
$110,000	FL	Both	Toyota	Metro	13
$91,000	NY	Both	Volkswagen	Metro	1
$91,500	NC	Both	Chevrolet	Rural	2
$67,000	VT	Both	GM, Buick	Rural	3
$60,000	FL	Both	Mercedes Benz	Metro	1
$65,000	SC	Both	Volkswagen	Metro	4
$100,000	VA	Both	Nissan	Metro	13
$63,000	GA	Both	Volkswagen	Metro	1
$80,000	MD	Both	KIA	Rural	15
$50,000	CO	Used	All	Metro	1
$55,000	MD	Both	KIA	Metro	3
$95,000	OH	Both	Chrysler	Metro	2
$140,000	Lumpar	Both	Proton	Metro	5
$65,000	OH	Both	Ford	Metro	2
$54,000	CO	New	Cadillac	Metro	3
$117,000	NM	Both	GM	Metro	5
$180,000	WA	Both	Subaru	Metro	1
$82,000	TX	Both	Subaru	Metro	4
$15,600	TN	Used	All	Metro	6
$48,000	MI	Both	Buick, Cadillac	Metro	2
$75,000	KS	Both	Ford, Mazda	Metro	4
$50,000	KS	Both	Toyota, Ford, Dodge	Rural	19
$85,000	TX	Used	All	Rural	3
$75,000	OH	Both	Ford	Metro	2
$90,000	IN	Both	GMC	Metro	3
$65,000	TX	Both	Nissan	Metro	7
$48,500	IN	Used	All	Rural	8
$50,000	FL	Both	Nissan	Rural	1
$90,000	KS	Both	Toyota	Metro	8
$214,000	IA	Both	Chevrolet	Metro	14
$102,000	VA	Both	Ford	Metro	3
$25,000	MN	Both	Ford	Metro	12
$200,000	MT	Both	Chevrolet	Metro	2
$145,000	TX	Both	Subaru	Metro	5
$70,000	MI	Both	KIA	Metro	5
$45,000	GA	Both	Chevrolet	Rural	1
$70,000	CA	New	Mazda	Metro	1
$90,000	NJ	Both	Volkswagen	Rural	12
$105,000	Ontario	Both	Volkswagen	Metro	3
$110,000	TN	Both	Honda/Nissan	Metro	8
$50,000	TX	Both	BMW	Metro	2
$120,000	IL	Both	Chevrolet	Rural	4
$77,000	OK	Used	Used	Metro	12
$200,000	FL	Both	Honda	Rural	20
$238,000	WA	Used	Used	Metro	25
$40,000	CO	Both	Toyota, Chevy, GMC	Rural	1
$75,000	CA	Both	Toyota	Metro	11
$90,000	IL	Both	Buick, GMC	Metro	11
$45,000	FL	Both	Toyota	Metro	1
$150,000	VA	Both	BMW	Metro	29
$87,500	Canada	Both	Mazda	Metro	3
$45,000	AZ	Both	Audi	Metro	20
$97,000	TX	Both	Toyota	Rural	2
$180,000	IL	Both	Toyota	Metro	17
$110,000	MN	Both	Chevy	Metro	2
$55,000	MA	Both	Ford	Metro	1
$100,000	AZ	Both	Chrysler	Metro	2
$40,000	MO	Both	Ford	Rural	5
$70,000	OH	Both	Ford	Metro	5
$65,000	OH	Both	Chevy	Metro	2
$52,000	TN	Both	Mazda	Metro	1
$385,000	Ontario	Both	Acura	Metro	10
$115,000	WA	Both	Toyota	Rural	2
$54,000	OH	Both	Dodge, Toyota	Metro	1
$104,016	KY	Both	Ford	Metro	4
$158,000	NM	Both	Chevy	Metro	4
$85,000	AZ	Both	Hyundai, Kia	Metro	1
$100,000	Alberta	New	Nissan	Metro	4
$105,000	OH	Both	Chrysler	Rural	10
$56,000	NJ	Both	Toyota	Metro	2
$63,000	AZ	Used	Used	Metro	3
$56,000	WA	Both	Kia	Metro	8
$50,000	CA	Used	Used	Metro	5
$65,000	Quebec	Both	Honda	Metro	5
$66,000	IN	Both	Toyota	Metro	2
$72,000	GA	Used	Chevy, Buick, GMC	Metro	3
$75,735	MI	New	Mitsubishi	Metro	5
$82,000	MO	Both	Mazda, Mitsu, Fiat	Rural	13
$100,000	CA	Both	Kia	Metro	4
$65,000	MO	Both	Mitsubishi	Metro	12
$75,000	CA	Both	Mercedes	Metro	2
$115,000	NJ	Both	Infiniti	Metro	8
$120,000	NJ	Both	Rural	Rural	4
$96,000	KY	Used	Used	Metro	15
$174,000	NH	Both	Chevrolet	Rural	13
$52,000	MI	Both	Subaru,Mazda	Rural	3
$75,000	GA	Both	Chevrolet	Metro	2
$103,000	AR	Both	Toyota	Rural	1
$98,000	NJ	Both	Volvo	Metro	14
$115,000	AZ	Used	Used	Metro	5
$86,300	MD	Both	MB,BMW,Lotus	Metro	4
$76,000	PA	Both	Chry,Jeep,Dodge	Metro	4
$115,200	TX	Both	Toyota	Metro	1
$39,000	NC	Both	Ford	Metro	2
$225,000	DE	Used	Used	Rural	2
$27,500	NY	Both	Dodge	Rural	1
$127,855	FL	Used	Used	Metro	23
$60,000	NV	Both	Chry,Jeep,Dodge	Rural	2
$52,000	GA	Used	Used	Rural	12
$90,000	TX	Both	Ford	Metro	10
$100,000	PA	Both	Dodge	Metro	20
$60,000	CA	Both	Ford	Metro	1
$34,000	NE	Both	Buick	Metro	4
$244,000	AZ	Both	BMW	Metro	13
$60,000	LA	Both	Chevrolet	Metro	10
$75,000	NH	Both	Subaru	Rural	9
$80,000	NY	Both	Buick,GMC	Metro	2
$112,545	IA	Both	Ford	Rural	2
$83,500	GA	Both	Chevrolet	Metro	5
$51,000	FL	Both	Buick,GMC	Metro	2
$92,000	Canada	Both	Chevrolet	Rural	7
$75,000	IL	Both	Chevrolet	Rural	2
$72,000	IL	Both	Cadillac	Metro	2
$27,000	TX	Both	Chevrolet,GMC	Rural	1
$40,000	NC	Both	Chevrolet	Metro	20
$115,000	OR	Both	KIA,Buick,GMC	Metro	2
$30,000	Canada	Both	Chevrolet	Rural	13
$112,000	TN	Both	Ford	Metro	2
$70,000	Canada	Both	Ford	Metro	2
$65,000	KY	Both	Hyundai	Metro	1
$135,000	IL	Both	Mazda	Metro	12
$60,000	BC*	Both	Toyota	Metro	1
$150,000	FL	Both	Honda	Metro	4
$95,000	MO	Both	Honda	Metro	2
$128,000	MN	New	Buick, GMC	Metro	3
$60,000	NJ	Both	KIA	Metro	2
$135,000	AL	Used	Used	Rural	6
$103,000	OK	Both	Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Chevy, GM, Buick	Rural	8
$68,800	LA	Both	Honda	Metro	1
$145,000	CA	Both	Nissan	Metro	25
$45,000	OH	Used	All	Metro	1
$135,000	IL	Both	Hyundai	Rural	8
$65,000	Alberta	Both	Buick,GMC,Cadillac	Rural	1
$93,000	PA	Used	All	Rural	6
$145,000	UT	Used	All	Metro	18
$97,000	ID	Both	Ford	Metro	1
$14,000	TX	Used	Used	Metro	1
$226,000	KS	Both	Ford	Metro	11
$80,000	TX	Both	Toyota	Metro	2
$93,000	MO	New	Ford	Rural	8
$67,000	CAN	Both	Mitsubichi	Metro	5
$152,000	SC	Both	GMC	Metro	5
$110,000	NC	Used	Used	Metro	3
$40,000	MA	Both	Nissan	Metro	1
$220,000	CA	Both	Lexus	Metro	6
$60,000	KS	Both	KIA	Metro	1
$78,000	MS	Both	Chevy	Rural	45
$95,000	CT	Both	Subaru	Metro	1
$54,000	VA	Used	Used	Rural	6
$50,000	KS	Both	Lincoln, Mazda, Hyundai	Metro	5
$75,000	GA	Both	Chevrolet, Hyundai	Rural	5
$80,000	CA	Both	Chevrolet	Rural	20
$45,000	AZ	Both	Ford	Metro	2
$72,000	SC	Both	Nissan	Metro	1
$35,000	NY	Both	Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge	Metro	1
$92,000	FL	Both	Nissan	Metro	8
$78,000	TX	Both	Toyota	Rural	2
$70,000	AL	Both	Chevrolet	Rural	3
$45,000	IL	Both	Hyundai	Metro	2
$85,000	FL	Both	Toyota	Rural	1
$276,000	IL	Both	Toyota	Metro	29
$115,000	NC	Used	Used	Metro	6
$285,000	NJ	New	McLaren	Metro	15
$96,000	CA	Both	Mitsubishi	Metro	2
$75,000	KY	Both	Nissan	Rural	1
$55,000	FL	Both	Honda/Acura	Metro	1
$129,000	MI	Both	Chrysler	Rural	15
$155,000	NE	Both	Chevrolet	Metro	5
$105,000	IN	Both	Chevrolet	Rural	19
$55,000	PA	New	Toyota	Rural	6
$115,000	NY	Both	Toyota	Metro	10
$52,000	OH	Both	Bucik/GMC	Metro	3
$66,000	AL	Both	Chevrolet	Rural	10
$110,000	TN	Both	Nissan	Rural	3
$85,000	AZ	Both	Lincoln	Metro	5
$92,000	CO	Both	Toyota	Metro	10
$93,000	CT	Both	Volvo	Metro	11
$59,000	MI	Both	Chrysler	Metro	1
$135,000	WA	Both	Mazda	Metro	21
$29,000	FL	New	Mazda	Metro	1
$96,000	OR	Both	Nissan	Metro	13
$250,000	FL	New	Ferrari	Metro	4
$75,000	NE	New	Chevrolet	Metro	5
$65,000	NC	Both	Acura	Metro	1
$118,000	AK	Both	Dodge	Metro	2
$88,000	FL	Both	Hyundai	Metro	5
$50,000	TX	Both	Kia	Metro	3
$73,000	OK	Both	Dodge, Chevy, Ford	Rural	2
$149,000	IN	Both	Infiniti	Metro	9
$62,000	CA	Both	Ford	Metro	7
$32,000	OR	Both	Hyundai	Metro	1
$55,000	MA	Both	Chevrolet	Metro	1
$65,000	WA	Both	Subaru	Metro	16
$215,000	TN	Both	GMC, Buick	Rural	17
$298,000	OK	Both	Ford	Metro	2
$148,000	TX	Both	Toyota	Metro	3
$97,000	Alberta	Both	Nissan,Chevy,CDJR	Metro	11
$552,000	CA	Both	BMW	Metro	12
$125,000	OR	Both	Chevy, GMC, Buick, Caddy	Rural	15
$175,000	SD	Both	Ford	Metro	5
$236,000	CA	Both	Mercedes	Metro	23
$115,000	VA	Both	Hyundai	Rural	1
$84,000	NY	Both	Audi	Metro	3
$65,000	NY	Both	Toyota, Subaru	Rural	5
$42,000	OR	Both	Toyota	Metro	1
$120,000	OH	Both	Ford	Metro	15
$120,000	MN	Both	CDJR	Rural	23

Please fill out the survey so everyone can see how much do car salesmen make. If you car salesmen and saleswomen submit enough surveys I will start sorting them by state, brands, amounts, years selling, etc. Find out which car salesmen make the most money.

*BC = British Columbia Canada, *MN=Manitoba Canada, *Can=Canada, *May=Malaysia

Check out H ow Car Sales Commission Works.

Later, Fresh Up on the Lot