Dealerships by the Numbers — A Fun Look at Who's Selling Cars and Who’s Paying the Bills

“There’s more dealers than stars—except these ones are in your zip code, not outer space.” 🌌 - Chase Jordan

Ever wondered just how many dealerships are out there?

Or how much money people make working at them?

Here’s a fun deep dive into the dealership universe across North America—and how Deal Guard helps you navigate it.

📍 How Many Dealerships Are There?

• United States: Roughly 18,374 franchise dealerships (car-selling locations) by end of 2024—up slightly from 2023—covering about 30,124 franchises (so some stores have multiple brands).

• Canada: About 4,328 new-car dealer businesses in 2025—down slightly from previous years.

• That doesn’t include used-car lots, service centers, or big dealer groups for Canada.

👥 Who’s Working the Lots?

• United States:

  • 17k dealers sell around 15.9 million vehicles annually, generating over $1.2 trillion in sales.

  • Service departments write over 270 million repair orders—yep, they fix as much as they sell.

• Canada:

  • Around 3,430 franchised dealers sold over 1.6 million new vehicles in 2022 (cada.ca).

  • The sector includes over 160,000 employees, with each dealer averaging ~50 workers .

💵 How Much Do Dealership Employees Make?

• U.S. Sales Associates average $42,700 annually, while used-car managers pull in up to $184,000+.

• F&I (Finance & Insurance) Managers average $150,000+, with top performers up to $250,000 in 2025.

• Mechanics in U.S. dealerships earn about $25/hour (~$52,000/year), with variation across regions.

• Canada: Hourly wages average $24.20/hr for dealership staff—mostly service and parts .

🔄 How Many Dealerships Close Each Year?

• U.S.: Dealership counts have stayed mostly steady; only small shifts—95% of metro areas saw no major changes in 2024 (cbtnews.com).

• Canada: Slight downward trend with a 0.6% dip in dealer count—about a
  dozen closings per year lately.

🌍 Big Dealer Groups & Consolidation

• Lithia Motors: Around 298 U.S. stores + 14 in Canada, employing 21K+ staff.

• AutoNation: Over 300 U.S. dealerships with 25K employees .

• AutoCanada: 83 franchised Canadian locations and 1 used-vehicle auction business; sold ~97,000 vehicles in 2024.

🤔 Why These Numbers Matter for You

• More dealers = more choices and more competition—usually good for buyers.

• But big consolidators may push for profit over customer care.

• High average pay for F&I and others can signal upselling pressure—like extended warranties and add-ons (Garbage for the most part).

That’s why having Deal Guard, your car-buying concierge and advocate, is critical.

We:

• Spot hidden dealer tactics before they hit your monthly payment

• Level the playing field with deep market intel

• Help you navigate options—local or large-chain dealerships

😎 Final Word from Chase

Whether you're dealing with mom-and-pop lots or major dealership chains, the numbers tell a story—and it's full of pitfalls.

But you don’t have to go it alone.

At GetDealGuard.com, we’re the car-buying concierge service trained to guide, protect, and negotiate—without ever pushing dealer commissions or guessing games. Let’s make those rooftops work for you.

🎯 Shopping for a car?
Let's turn dealer data into your advantage. Reach out to Deal Guard today and drive with peace of mind.