Jobs in car dealerships have an average Still needs a human score of 73.7 out of 100 (higher is safer), close to the average for all jobs and 20th of 37 among the sectors (1st is least exposed). The largest job here is automotive service technicians and mechanics (264,000 workers, 84/100 ↑ safer), and of the jobs more common here than across the economy, customer service representatives is the most exposed (51/100 ↑ safer).
How the work here could shift
The share of workers in this sector whose job would sit in each band, from today to 2060.
Each job's score moves towards the bottom band (Largely: AI could largely do the job) by the year it could be largely automated, slowly at first and faster later, as adoption usually goes. Each job is run as ten scenarios across its replacement range, so every figure mixes early and late outcomes. The model stops at 2060. How the timeline works
Show the data
| Year | Largely | Mostly | Partly | A little | Nah |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today (2026) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5.5% | 57.7% | 36.8% |
| 2030 | 0.0% | 2.4% | 33.1% | 42.3% | 22.2% |
| 2035 | 17.7% | 21.1% | 28.5% | 29.0% | 3.7% |
| 2040 | 39.0% | 27.6% | 21.1% | 8.6% | 3.7% |
| 2045 | 59.1% | 24.3% | 11.8% | 1.1% | 3.7% |
| 2050 | 73.8% | 20.2% | 1.2% | 1.1% | 3.7% |
| 2055 | 87.3% | 7.9% | 0.0% | 1.1% | 3.7% |
| 2060 | 94.2% | 1.0% | 0.0% | 1.1% | 3.7% |
The largest jobs in car dealerships
| # | Job | Still needs a human | Evidence | Could be largely automated | Workers in the sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | 84↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2045–2060+ | 264,300 |
| 2 | Retail Salespersons | 69↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2054 | 225,800 |
| 3 | Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment | 87↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2044–2060+ | 75,300 |
| 4 | Parts Salespersons | 74↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2036–2060+ | 60,400 |
| 5 | Counter and Rental Clerks | 65↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2049 | 57,800 |
| 6 | First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 71↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2036–2052 | 39,100 |
| 7 | Customer Service Representatives | 51↑ saferAI replace? Partly. | D | 2034–2041 | 39,000 |
| 8 | Sales Managers | 72↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2036–2050 | 38,800 |
| 9 | First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 73↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2045–2060+ | 33,700 |
| 10 | General and Operations Managers | 72↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2036–2051 | 31,900 |
Common jobs here that AI can do most of
| # | Job | Still needs a human | Evidence | Could be largely automated | Workers in the sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer Service Representatives | 51↑ saferAI replace? Partly. | D | 2034–2041 | 39,000 |
| 2 | Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 54↑ saferAI replace? Partly.workers of 2 related jobs | D | 2034–2042 | 3,300 |
| 3 | Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 54↑ saferAI replace? Partly. | D | 2034–2042 | 19,600 |
| 4 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 57↑ saferAI replace? Partly. | D | 2034–2044 | 2,400 |
| 5 | Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | 58↑ saferAI replace? Partly. | D | 2034–2043 | 2,000 |
| 6 | Receptionists and Information Clerks | 60↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2047 | 22,300 |
| 7 | Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 60↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2046 | 22,700 |
| 8 | Bill and Account Collectors | 60↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2045 | 2,200 |
| 9 | Human Resources Specialists | 61↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2045 | 3,400 |
| 10 | Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 61↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2047 | 11,600 |
Common jobs here that most need a human
| # | Job | Still needs a human | Evidence | Could be largely automated | Workers in the sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tire Repairers and Changers | 87↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2046–2060+ | 1,400 |
| 2 | Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment | 87↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2044–2060+ | 75,300 |
| 3 | Automotive Body and Related Repairers | 86↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2045–2060+ | 25,900 |
| 4 | Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 86↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2046–2060+ | 5,600 |
| 5 | Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers | 85↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2046–2060+ | 4,000 |
| 6 | Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists | 85↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2045–2060+ | 1,800 |
| 7 | Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 84↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2046–2060+ | 3,200 |
| 8 | Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 84↑ saferAI replace? Nah.workers of 2 related jobs | D | 2044–2060+ | 2,500 |
| 9 | Parking Attendants | 84↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2043–2060+ | 22,400 |
| 10 | Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | 84↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2045–2060+ | 264,300 |
Related sectors: Retail trade, Auto repair, Pharmacies and drugstores, Ecommerce and online retail
How this is worked out
- The average weights every job's Still needs a human score by how many people do it in this sector, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' industry employment data. Jobs cover 97.9% of the sector's employment.
- Job scores are national: an accountant in retail scores the same as an accountant anywhere. The sector figure reflects its mix of jobs, not how its employers use AI; the Census figure shows that.