Nearly three-fourths of body shops (74 percent) responding to the BodyShop Business 2017 Industry Profile survey said they compensate their employees with an hourly wage.
Another 54 percent of shops said they pay a flat rate at a percentage of billed hours.
Median annual salaries for shop employees range from $32,000 for an entry-level painter or tech to $59,000 for a senior estimator. Unlike an average, median means that 50 percent of responses are above the number, while 50 percent of responses are below the number.
The average posted per-hour rates included $47.25 for body and $72.51 for mechanical.
For more results from the 2017 Industry Profile, read the May issue of BodyShop Business.