How much do car detailers make? As a car detailer, it’s important to know your earning potential if you are just entering the industry. Even if you’ve been in detailing for a while, you should be able to know how your salary stacks up. We researched car detailer salaries and compared averages and ranges across states and cities in the US. This research can help you determine the value of a new job and/or evaluate your current value in the market.
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As a business owner, it’s important to know the fair salary ranges for positions that you want to hire. You need to stay competitive in a strong job market and keep your current employees happy.
Average Car Detailer Salaries in the US
Across the entire US, the average hourly wage for a car detailer is $11.93/hour. The average yearly overtime pay is an extra $3,875 per year. This means that, on average, American car detailers make $27,735 per year. Keep in mind that this includes part-time and full-time jobs, jobs of varying experience levels, and pay from states with high and low standards of living. All of these factors can cause real wages to range significantly. The average pay range for a car detailer across the country is $7.25 to $26.35 per hour. If you’re a detailer who earns on the high range of the national average, you could expect to make $56,575/year.
For all open detailing jobs across the US, about half have an expected salary range of $20,000 to $25,000. 2/3 of all open detailing jobs in the country are full-time, while 1/3 are part-time. When we filter out part-time job openings, we can focus on full-time job postings. We see that 16.6% of full-time job openings are in the $35-$40k range and 33% are in the $25k-$30k range.
Open Detailing Jobs per State
In the following image, you can see the number of open detailing jobs posted on Indeed in each state. Indiana tops the list with over 500 job openings. The states of California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Texas all have 100 open detailing jobs. As a job seeker, these are good states to look for and find new work. If you’re a car detailing business owner, it might be more difficult to fill your open positions in these states.
States with the Highest and Lowest Average Car Detailer Hourly Wage
Maryland is the state with the highest average hourly wage for car detailers. On average, detailers in Maryland can expect to make $15.92 per hour. The highest reported hourly wage in Maryland is $45.70 an hour. If you’re a car detailer in Maryland on the highest end of the range, you could make $95,275 per year.
The state with the lowest hourly wage in the country is Mississippi. A detailer in Mississippi makes an average hourly pay of $9.52 or $22,915 per year. The highest reported hourly wage in Mississippi is $15.10 per hour. If you’re a car detailer in Mississippi on the highest end of the range, you could make $34,075 per year.
Car Detailer Salaries and Ranges by State
If we only look at average wages, it could skew our idea of the pay potential in each state. Another way to look at pay across states is to dive deeper into the range of pay that detailers report. When we look at the low and high ends of wages in each state, we will have a more complete picture.
Across the country, the average hourly rate for car detailers ranges from $7.25 (nationally) to $45.70 (in Maryland). In terms of yearly car detailer salaries with overtime work, the average salaries around the country range from $18,375 to $95,275.
States with Earning Potential over $50,000/Year for Car Detailers
The above data gives us a good idea of average hourly wage and the range of wages for each state. Now let’s look at which states provide the highest earning potential for detailers on a yearly salary basis.
To find the earning potential for each state, we took the high range of hourly wages for each state and multiplied it by a year’s worth of work (2,000 hours). Then we added the average yearly overtime pay. This calculation helped us find the high end of potential yearly auto detailer salary.
In the following graph, you can see which states offer the possibility of earning a salary of $50,000/year or more. You can also see how much over or under $50,000 you could expect to make in that state.
Maryland has the highest earning potential for auto detailers; in this state it’s possible to earn $95,275/year. In Tennessee, the earning potential reaches $61,675/ year. There are 14 states around the country with an earning potential over $50,000/year.
Conclusion
The best way to use this compilation of data is to consider all of the data together. This will help you see the most realistic picture of the detailing job market and wages around the country.
If you are a car detailer looking for a job, this report shows you the number of job openings and how much car detailers make in your area. You can also compare job openings and wages across states. As a business owner, this report can help you determine a fair salary for your employees. Knowing the fair market rate can help you stay competitive as you hire for new positions.
Methodology
To pull the data for this report, we used Indeed to compare car detailer salaries from over 5,000 employees who reported their earnings. We also scraped job advertisements for open car detailer positions posted on Indeed over the past 3 years.
Download & Share the Car Detaier Salaries Infographic
You can download the infographic here. Please include attribution to Mobile Tech RX when using this infographic.
