Auto body shops repaint the exterior of damaged vehicles.
Auto body shop managers are first-line supervisors who handle the day-to-day operation of the shop. They may supervise the collision repair technicians, sometimes referred to as auto body repairers, who repair or replace auto body parts damaged in an accident or other incident. They may serve as a liaison between the vehicle owner, the insurance company, and the repair technician. Auto body repairers may assume the responsibility of an auto body shop manager in a small shop. Wages for California-based body shop managers vary based on location and experience.
National Wages
The median annual salary for first-line supervisors of auto body shops was $59,150 as of May 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The top 10 percent of these first-line supervisors earned more than $91,060 while the bottom 10 percent earned annual wages of less than $35,980. Automotive body and related repairers from across the U.S. earned median annual salaries of $38,130. The top 10 percent earned in excess of $64,320 per year while the bottom 10 percent earned less than $22,990.
California Wages
The mean hourly wage for California-based automotive body and related repairers was $21.82 as of May 2010, according to the BLS. The top 10 percent earned more than $68,010 per year, while the bottom 10 percent earned less than $27,210. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers earned median annual wages of $66,610. The top 10 percent of auto body shop supervisors earned in excess of $101,040 while the bottom 10 percent earned less than $41,310.
Local Wages
Salaries for body shop managers in California may be affected by the local economy. The median annual salary for automotive body and related repairers in Bakersfield was $40,840 while those who worked in the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura metropolitan area earned median wages of $62,310. Bakersfield-based auto body repairers who worked as first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers earned median annual wages of $69,050 while their counterparts in the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura area earned $75,520.
Employment
There were approximately 48,720 jobs for first-line supervisors and automotive body and related repairers in the state of California as of May 2010, according to the BLS. The BLS expects growth in new jobs in the auto body repair industry to grow by less than one percent between 2008 and 2018. Auto body shops will have the greatest need for repairers who have formal training and certification. Certified repairers who also have management experience or training should have the best opportunities to advance to a body shop manager's position.
Tags: percent earned, first-line supervisors, less than, median annual, body related, body related repairers