Reconditioning and detail positions
6 positions, each with what the role does, when a store needs it, what it pays and one flat fee per hire.
Every day a used vehicle spends in reconditioning costs money and delays the sale. These roles get vehicles clean, reconditioned and on the front line fast, and keep service customers' cars looking cared for.
How to pick the right level
- Detailers and car wash attendants fit every store.
- A recon coordinator tracks each used vehicle once recon time stretches past a few days.
- Reconditioning and detail managers fit large stores with their own get-ready operation.
Every level, what it pays and the fee
Car Wash Attendant
$500 per hireWashes service and inventory vehicles so every car leaves and sits on the lot clean.
When a store needs it: Every store. Pay: $28,580 to $30,880 a year.
Detailer
$1,000 per hireReconditioning and detail staff who keep inventory front-line ready.
When a store needs it: Every store. Pay: $30,880 to $38,460 a year.
Recon Coordinator
$1,500 per hireTracks every used vehicle through inspection, repair, detail and photos so none sit idle.
When a store needs it: Mid-size stores and up. Pay: $37,020 to $57,130 a year.
Paint Protection Specialist
$1,500 per hireApplies ceramic coatings and paint protection film sold through sales and F&I.
When a store needs it: Mid-size stores and up. Pay: $38,460 to $46,140 a year.
Detail Manager
$2,500 per hireRuns the detail shop: staffing, quality, supplies and turn time.
When a store needs it: Large stores. Pay: $45,410 to $76,340 a year.
Reconditioning Manager
$5,500 per hireRuns the used vehicle get-ready process and cuts time from purchase to front line.
When a store needs it: Large stores. Pay: $62,350 to $118,390 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.
Related positions
Service drive positions · Service management positions · Shop operations positions · Lot and transport positions