Dealership office positions
7 positions, each with what the role does, when a store needs it, what it pays and one flat fee per hire.
The office makes every deal legally and financially complete. Receptionists route every call, title clerks keep titles and registrations moving, and the office manager runs deals, payables and the month-end close.
How to pick the right level
- Every store needs a receptionist, a title clerk and an office manager.
- A DMV runner pays off where title work is delivered in person.
- A title and registration manager and an executive assistant fit dealer groups.
Every level, what it pays and the fee
DMV Runner
$500 per hireDelivers title work, plates and paperwork to the DMV, tag agencies and lenders.
When a store needs it: Large stores. Pay: $30,180 to $38,640 a year.
Receptionist
$500 per hireThe first voice and face of the store, on the phones and at the front desk.
When a store needs it: Every store. Pay: $31,130 to $38,480 a year.
Office Administrator
$1,500 per hireHandles the general administration that keeps the store's office running.
When a store needs it: Mid-size stores and up. Pay: $35,120 to $48,990 a year.
Title Clerk
$2,000 per hireClerks who keep titles, registrations and deal funding moving on time.
When a store needs it: Every store. Pay: $38,100 to $50,290 a year.
Title and Registration Manager
$2,500 per hireRuns titling and registration for several stores and keeps the group current with the DMV.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $55,660 to $73,130 a year.
Executive Assistant
$3,500 per hireSupports the dealer principal or group executives with calendars, travel and correspondence.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $52,710 to $97,030 a year.
Office Manager
$5,500 per hireOffice leaders who run accounting, payroll, contracts in transit and compliance.
When a store needs it: Every store. Pay: $73,130 to $123,070 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.