jobfacts

Garage managers and proprietors

SOC 2020 1252

Garage managers and proprietors plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the day-to-day running of garages and specialist vehicle maintenance and repair establishments.

Also calledGarage managerGarage ownerDealer principalBodyshop managerManagerGarage directorand 12 more titles
People in the job18,000across the UK
Demand for workersElevated
New adverts a month92↑ 19%on last year · 391st of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
Typical pay by regionUK median —
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
Show as table
UK median, —
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 92 jobs for garage managers and proprietors are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as elevated.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026100
Jul 2026109
Jun 2026118
May 2026118
Apr 202667
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 202680
Jan 202668
Dec 202560
Nov 2025118
Oct 202585
Sept 202589
Aug 202570
Jul 202580
Jun 202595
May 2025101
Apr 202571
Mar 202578
Feb 2025102
Jan 202577
Dec 202450
Nov 202461
Oct 202465
Sept 202476
Aug 202489
Jul 202489
Jun 202478
May 2024112
Apr 2024104
Mar 202471
Feb 202449
Jan 2024102
Dec 202354
Nov 202356
Oct 202353
Sept 202356
Aug 202353
Jul 202385
Jun 202385
May 2023132
Apr 2023110
Mar 202392
Feb 2023121
Jan 2023114
Dec 2022111
Nov 2022114
Oct 2022170
Sept 2022118
Aug 2022120
Jul 2022163
Jun 2022150
May 2022142
Apr 2022133
Mar 2022148
Feb 2022143
Jan 2022162
Dec 202193
Nov 2021118
Oct 202180
Sept 202191
Aug 202196
Jul 2021124
Jun 2021115
May 2021144
Apr 2021118
Mar 2021127
Feb 202185
Jan 202183
Dec 202075
Nov 202095
Oct 202084
Sept 202097
Aug 202071
Jul 202065
Jun 202052
May 202032
Apr 202067
Mar 2020138
Feb 2020157
Jan 2020124
Dec 201961
Nov 2019107
Oct 201997
Sept 201993
Aug 201979
Jul 2019106
Jun 201996
May 2019103
Apr 201959
Mar 201995
Feb 201988
Jan 2019106
Dec 201866
Nov 201883
Oct 2018116
Sept 2018106
Aug 2018110
Jul 2018103
Jun 2018110
May 201891
Apr 201882
Mar 201893
Feb 201876
Jan 201895
Dec 201778
Nov 201782
Oct 201789
Sept 201779
Aug 201780
Jul 201792
Jun 2017110
May 2017115
Apr 2017113
Mar 2017106
Feb 201798
Jan 2017115
Is there a shortage of garage managers and proprietors?
Elevated

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was not high.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
15%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for managers and proprietors in other services, which includes garage managers and proprietors. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London48
Birmingham14
Manchester12
Glasgow City11
Newcastle upon Tyne7
Belfast7
Cambridge7
Bristol, City of6
Leeds6
City of Edinburgh5
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where garage managers and proprietors are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of garage managers and proprietors
n/p
n/p
24%!
44%!
22%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–34Not published
35–4424% (small sample)
45–5444% (small sample)
55–6422% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!20%
A levels or equivalent59%
GCSEs or equivalent!16%
Other qualifications!11%
No qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent20% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent59%
GCSEs or equivalent16% (small sample)
Other qualifications11% (small sample)
No qualificationsNot published

Main employers: maintenance and repair of motor vehicles (67%), retail trade of motor vehicle parts and accessories (9.1%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
20%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 59%
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • determines staffing, financial, material and other short- and long-term requirements
  • ensures that necessary spare parts, materials and equipment are available or obtainable at short notice
  • arranges for maintenance staff to perform necessary maintenance and repair work on vehicles or motorcycles
  • checks completed work for compliance with safety and other statutory regulations
  • maintains records of repair work to detect recurrent faults
  • provides information about garage merchandise for staff and customers
  • ensures the business accounts are maintained

Skills

  • manage staff
  • train employees
  • create solutions to problems
  • handle customer complaints
  • manage budgets
  • recruit employees
  • comply with food safety and hygiene
  • coordinate operational activities
  • follow company standards
  • identify customer's needs
  • implement marketing strategies
  • implement sales strategies
  • maintain customer service
  • plan health and safety procedures

Knowledge

  • corporate social responsibility
  • customer relationship management
  • communication principles
  • customer service
  • geographical areas relevant to tourism
  • local area tourism industry
  • product comprehension

Suits people who like

  • Leading and persuading
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for other managers and proprietors, a group of 22 jobs that includes garage managers and proprietors.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 43%about 494,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.3 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.