BDC positions
6 positions, each with what the role does, when a store needs it, what it pays and one flat fee per hire.
The BDC turns calls, texts and web leads into appointments that show. A store can start with one or two representatives; a dealer group often centralizes the BDC under a director who reports results by store and by agent.
How to pick the right level
- Start with BDC representatives when salespeople cannot answer every lead within minutes.
- Add a service BDC representative when the service drive misses calls or recalls go unbooked.
- Hire a BDC manager at about four or more representatives, so someone owns scripts, schedules and show rates.
- A BDC director or call center manager fits groups that run one BDC for several rooftops.
Every level, what it pays and the fee
BDC Representative
$2,000 per hirePhone and internet lead handlers who set appointments that show. Full details for this position.
When a store needs it: Every store. Pay: $35,590 to $49,710 a year.
Service BDC Representative
$2,000 per hireBooks service appointments, follows up on declined work and reminds customers of due maintenance.
When a store needs it: Mid-size stores and up. Pay: $35,590 to $49,710 a year.
Customer Retention Specialist
$2,000 per hireMines the database for customers in a position to trade, and calls them before another dealer does.
When a store needs it: Large stores. Pay: $39,910 to $49,710 a year.
BDC Manager
$5,500 per hireBuilds scripts, schedules and accountability for the BDC and owns appointment set and show rates.
When a store needs it: Mid-size stores and up. Pay: $71,990 to $140,700 a year.
Call Center Manager
$5,500 per hireManages a group's inbound and outbound phone center: staffing, phone systems and service levels.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $94,040 to $123,070 a year.
BDC Director
$10,000 per hireRuns a centralized BDC or call center for several rooftops, with reporting by store and by agent.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $97,500 to $208,030 a year.
About store size and pay
Store size guidance reflects how dealerships typically staff as they grow, drawn from our 25 years inside dealerships and recruiting for them since 2012. Every store is different, so we confirm the right level on your intake call.
- Every store: Any franchised or independent dealership
- Mid-size stores: About 100 or more new and used retail units a month, or 50 or more employees
- Large stores: About 250 or more units a month, or 150 or more employees
- Dealer groups: About 3 to 10 rooftops
- Large dealer groups: 10 or more rooftops
- Stores with a body shop, stores with in-house financing and specialty dealers: roles that depend on the business, not its size
Pay bands are what people in each role earn at automobile dealers, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025), including commissions and bonuses. Most bands run from the 25th to the 75th percentile; senior levels use the upper range of the same occupation. A band marked * uses all-industry figures because BLS does not report that role for auto dealers.