Dealership HR positions
8 positions, each with what the role does, when a store needs it, what it pays and one flat fee per hire.
Most single stores handle HR through the office manager and a payroll service. As headcount grows, compliance, benefits, pay plans and employee relations need a dedicated owner, and the HR team grows from a generalist to a director.
How to pick the right level
- An HR generalist fits a large store, or a small group, that has outgrown the office manager handling HR.
- An HR manager runs HR for a group of stores and coaches managers on people issues.
- An HR director owns people strategy, pay plans and compliance for a dealer group.
- Large groups add a chief people officer over HR, recruiting and training.
Every level, what it pays and the fee
HR Assistant
$1,500 per hireHandles HR paperwork, onboarding, records and employee questions.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $41,720 to $54,900 a year.
HR Generalist
$3,500 per hireCovers hiring support, onboarding, benefits, employee relations and policy at one store or a small group.
When a store needs it: Large stores. Pay: $55,480 to $85,340 a year.
Benefits Administrator
$3,500 per hireRuns benefits enrollment, carriers and leave for a large dealer group.
When a store needs it: Large dealer groups. Pay: $61,040 to $96,990 a year.
Safety and Compliance Manager
$5,500 per hireRuns OSHA safety, hazardous materials and environmental compliance across the stores.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $69,560 to $111,690* a year.
HR Manager
$5,500 per hireRuns HR for a group of stores: policy, compliance, benefits, investigations and manager coaching.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $75,580 to $126,920 a year.
Payroll Manager
$5,500 per hireRuns payroll and pay plan administration for many stores and entities.
When a store needs it: Large dealer groups. Pay: $96,990 to $114,990 a year.
HR Director
$10,000 per hireLeads the HR team for a dealer group and owns people strategy, pay plans and compliance.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $126,920 to $203,960 a year.
Chief People Officer
$15,000 per hireSenior executive over HR, recruiting, training and culture for a large dealer group.
When a store needs it: Large dealer groups. Pay: $203,960 and up 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.