Automotive Industry Workers

Salaries vary widely for automotive industry workers depending on their job and how long they've been with the company. Pay scales in the automotive vehicle manufacturing industry are moderately higher than in the automotive parts manufacturing industry. According to the U.S. Department of Labor in May 2018, first-line supervisors of all production and operating workers, including automobile may earn between $36,020 to $99,500 a year or more, depending on the number of people they supervise. The mean wage for first-line supervisors of automotive manufacturing and operating workers is $74,630, and the mean wage for first-line supervisors of automotive parts manufacturing and operating workers is $63,630. Pay for semiskilled or unskilled workers, such as assemblers and fabricators, is considerably lower, usually in the $30,000 to $50,000 range. For example, the mean wage of assemblers and fabricators in motor vehicle manufacturing was $47,720 and the mean wage of assemblers and fabricators working in automotive parts manufacturing was $36,260. Still, such production jobs are sought after because this pay is higher than such workers may find elsewhere based on their skill level.