Dealership IT positions
6 positions, each with what the role does, when a store needs it, what it pays and one flat fee per hire.
Dealer groups run on the DMS, the CRM and dozens of connected vendors, and they hold customer financial data the FTC Safeguards Rule requires them to protect. These roles keep it all running and secure.
How to pick the right level
- IT support and a DMS administrator fit groups of a few stores.
- An IT manager runs technology for several stores.
- Large groups add an information security analyst and an IT director.
Every level, what it pays and the fee
IT Support Specialist
$2,500 per hireFixes computers, phones, printers and DMS access for the stores' staff.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $46,310 to $66,780 a year.
DMS Administrator
$3,500 per hireAdministers the dealer management system: users, security, forms and integrations.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $53,270 to $93,730 a year.
Network Administrator
$5,500 per hireRuns the group's networks, servers, Wi-Fi and backups.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $65,700 to $119,990 a year.
IT Manager
$5,500 per hireRuns technology for several stores: support, vendors, security and projects.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $77,680 to $99,440 a year.
Information Security Analyst
$7,500 per hireProtects customer and deal data and keeps the group compliant with the FTC Safeguards Rule.
When a store needs it: Large dealer groups. Pay: $97,810 to $163,500* a year.
IT Director
$10,000 per hireSets technology strategy, security and budgets for a large dealer group.
When a store needs it: Large dealer groups. Pay: $127,750 to $179,990 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.