Home / Occupation profile / Motor Vehicle and Vehicle Parts Salespersons
Print Print

Motor Vehicle and Vehicle Parts Salespersons

ANZSCO ID 6213

Find Vacancies Opens in a new window

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
35,000
Future Growth
2.7%
Weekly Earnings
$1,214
Full-Time Share
80%
Female Share
16%
Average age
40
About this data

Summary

Motor Vehicle and Vehicle Parts Salespersons sell motor vehicles, boats, caravans, earthmoving equipment, vehicle accessories and parts in retail and wholesale establishments.

Tasks

  • determining customer requirements and advising on product range, price, delivery, warranties and product use and care

  • showing vehicles to customers and test driving vehicles with customers

  • selling motor vehicles and vehicle products such as parts, tyres, lubricating oils, batteries, car stereos and alarms

  • taking sales orders and preparing contracts of sale

  • receiving orders for parts

  • determining part sizes and details such as vehicle make, model, manufacturer and year

  • searching lists of parts to identify part numbers, price and availability

Characteristics

Job Type
Sales Workers
Skill Level
Lower skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
6213 Motor Vehicle and Vehicle Parts Salespersons This occupation is Current selected
Unemployment Rate
Above average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
  • Enterprising
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light
  • Medium

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers in this occupation is likely to remain stable.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
2.7%
(or 1,000 jobs)
From
37,200
in 2021
To
38,200
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 32,200
2012 35,700
2013 36,000
2014 25,900
2015 37,200
2016 42,800
2017 36,200
2018 33,600
2019 32,500
2020 37,100
2021 37,200
2026 38,200

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 88% of people employed as Motor Vehicle and Vehicle Parts Salespersons work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 22 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 46 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Median full-time earnings are $1,214 per week, this is much lower than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,027
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $1,599

    Median hourly earnings are $31, this is lower than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Motor Vehicle and Vehicle Parts Salespersons All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 1,214 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.

Industries

Main industries

1
Retail Trade
73.1%
2
Wholesale Trade
11.1%
3
Other Services
6.2%
4
Manufacturing
4.3%
5
Other industries
5.6%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

29.3% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

24.5% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

23.7% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.5% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

10.9% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.9% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.9% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.2% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Motor Vehicle and Vehicle Parts Salespersons All Jobs Average
NSW 29.3 31.6
VIC 24.5 25.6
QLD 23.7 20.0
SA 7.5 7.0
WA 10.9 10.8
TAS 1.9 2.0
NT 0.9 1.0
ACT 1.2 1.9


  • Around 47% of Motor Vehicle and Vehicle Parts Salespersons live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    Queensland has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
40
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
16%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Motor Vehicle and Vehicle Parts Salespersons is 40 years. This is the same as the all jobs average.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 16% of the workforce. This is 32 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Motor Vehicle and Vehicle Parts Salespersons All Jobs Average
15-19 2.9 5.0
20-24 11.3 9.3
25-34 24.8 22.9
35-44 21.2 22.0
45-54 20.8 21.6
55-59 8.5 9.0
60-64 6.2 6.0
65 and Over 4.3 4.2
Median Age 40 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Motor Vehicle or Vehicle Parts Salesperson. Although some workers have a certificate II or III in automotive sales or automotive parts interpreting.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Retail Services VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Motor Vehicle and Vehicle Parts Salespersons All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 1.4 10.1
Bachelor degree 5.8 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 7.4 11.6
Certificate III/IV 30.4 21.1
Year 12 28.5 18.1
Year 11 8.3 4.8
Year 10 and below 18.2 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Motor Vehicle and Vehicle Parts Salespersons who can communicate well with a variety of stakeholders, providing good customer service and who are well presented.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 55%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 46%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 45%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 45%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 45%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 45%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 43%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 43%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 43%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 43%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 41%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 41%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 41%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 36%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 36%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 32%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 30%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 29%

    Equipment selection

    Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

  • 29%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 62%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 57%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 54%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 45%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 42%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 42%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 38%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 37%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 35%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 31%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 30%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 30%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 29%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 27%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 25%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 17%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 16%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 16%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 13%

    Foreign language

    Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • 11%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 57%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 57%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 55%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 52%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 48%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 46%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 45%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 45%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 45%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 43%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 43%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 41%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 41%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 41%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 41%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 41%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 41%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 39%

    Multitasking

    Do two or more things at the same time.

  • 34%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 29%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 71%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 71%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 70%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 68%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 68%

    Influencing people

    Convincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.

  • 67%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 67%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 67%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 65%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 64%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 62%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 62%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 60%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 54%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 52%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 48%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 47%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 46%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 45%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

  • 43%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 86%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 57%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 43%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 19%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 67%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 52%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 48%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 43%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 38%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 38%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 100%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 99%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 99%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 90%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 90%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 86%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 86%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 86%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 86%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 85%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 83%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 82%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 77%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 77%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 75%

    Indoors, not heat controlled

    Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).

  • 75%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 74%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 74%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 74%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 73%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 41-2022.00 - Parts Salespersons.

Links and downloads

Back to top