“If you were getting 25 per cent as a salesperson, and you were averaging $1,000 or $1,200 [per vehicle], and now suddenly you’re holding at MSRP and getting $2,000 or $2,500, your bonus is higher,” he said.
SUPPLEMENTS TO SALARY
The survey results bear this out. Most dealership staff in positions that rely heavily on nonsalary pay typically saw their compensation rise quicker over the past three years than those that do not.
Product advisers, for instance, who reported that close to half of their total average compensation was tied to commissions, saw their pay rise to $91,300 in 2022 from $77,900 in 2020, or about 17 per cent. Technicians, on the other hand, reported a nearly six-per-cent increase in compensation, with average pay climbing to $75,700 in 2022 from $71,600 in 2020. Responding technicians said that only about five per cent of their total pay hinged on commissions or bonuses over the three years.