New national remuneration survey to map pay and package structures across automotive, heavy vehicle and equipment sectors

We are currently conducting a national remuneration survey across the automotive, heavy vehicle, equipment, OEM and related sectors, with the aim of building a clearer picture of how people are actually being paid and how employment packages are being structured in the current market.

Most Dealer Principals, General Managers and senior leaders already have a reasonable feel for remuneration trends. They know what they are paying, they hear what candidates are asking for, they see what competitors advertise and they have first-hand experience trying to hire, replace or retain key staff. The challenge is that this kind of market knowledge can be useful while still being incomplete.

One business may be comparing base salaries, while another is looking at total earnings. One role may include a vehicle, allowance or strong incentive plan, while another may have a similar title but a very different level of pressure, responsibility or earning potential. Without structured data, it becomes very easy for employers and employees to think they are comparing like-for-like when they may not be.

That is why this survey is looking beyond salary alone. The aim is to better understand guaranteed remuneration, incentives, benefits, job satisfaction and the factors that may influence whether people stay where they are or consider a move.

An early look at satisfaction by department

One early finding already reinforces why this survey needs to look beyond remuneration alone. Among the major response groups reviewed so far, satisfaction levels are not even across departments.

Parts is currently showing the strongest satisfaction profile, with 79.5% of respondents saying they are either somewhat or very satisfied in their current role. Senior Management is also sitting strongly at 75.9%. Service, however, is the clear outlier, with only 48.4% of respondents describing themselves as satisfied.

That does not mean every service department is in trouble, and it does not mean every parts department is settled. But it does reinforce something we see regularly in recruitment: aftersales should not be treated as one broad category.

A Service Advisor, Service Manager and Parts Manager may all sit under the same general umbrella, but the pressures in those roles can be very different. Workload, customer pressure, incentives, staffing levels, manufacturer expectations and career progression all play a part.

This is why the survey is looking at more than just salary. Remuneration matters, but so does the structure of the role, the pressure attached to it and how people actually feel about the work they are doing.

An early look at Service Manager remuneration

One early area of interest is Service Manager remuneration. Within the metro automotive Service Manager responses reviewed so far, the average guaranteed salary is approximately $96,929, excluding superannuation and incentives.

That figure is useful as a reference point, but it also shows why remuneration data needs context. Service Manager roles are rarely simple base salary comparisons. Incentives, bonuses, vehicles, allowances, manufacturer targets, staffing levels, workshop performance, customer satisfaction measures and operational support can all change how attractive a package actually feels.

Two Service Manager roles can look similar from the outside but feel very different to the person in the seat. One may offer a lower guaranteed salary with higher earning potential, but also more exposure to targets, staffing challenges, manufacturer pressure or variables outside the manager’s control. Another may offer a stronger guaranteed component, a more predictable incentive structure, better operational support or a more manageable workload.

That difference matters because salary conversations in the market can sometimes sound inconsistent. One person may be talking about base salary, another may be talking about total cash earnings, while another may be factoring in a vehicle, incentives, pressure, hours, team stability or career progression.

Service Advisor packages also show why structure matters

The same principle applies further down the organisational chart as well. Early responses from Service Advisor roles, including Senior Service Advisors, show that package structure is not always as uniform as many people might assume.

Among the Service Advisor responses reviewed so far, roughly 28% report receiving a vehicle, including demonstrators, while 22% receive a vehicle allowance. The remaining 50% report no vehicle-related benefit attached to their package.

That is a useful reminder that even when job titles are the same, the overall package can vary meaningfully from one employer to the next. For one Service Advisor, a role may include access to a vehicle or demonstrator. For another, it may include an allowance. For another, there may be no vehicle-related benefit at all.

In practical terms, that means two Service Advisor roles with similar salaries may not be directly comparable in the eyes of the employee. When the market discusses “what Service Advisors are earning”, it often overlooks the fact that package structure can shift the value of the role quite significantly.

That becomes particularly relevant in a hiring market where employees are not only comparing salary, but also the full proposition attached to the role.

Why the comparison matters

The purpose of this survey is not simply to produce a list of average salaries. Average salary data has its place, but the more useful value sits in the comparison: how much of a package is guaranteed, how much is performance-based, what benefits are attached to the role and where apparently similar jobs are being structured very differently in the market.

These are the details that matter when businesses are hiring, retaining or replacing key people. They are also difficult questions to answer properly without structured data.

As the survey develops, we will continue analysing the results and sharing further insights into remuneration, incentives, package structures and employee sentiment across the automotive, heavy vehicle, equipment and related sectors.