Episode
Same Labor Rate, Different Profit: What the 2026 Benchmark Report Reveals About Where You Do Business [E228]
- Podcast
- Business By The Numbers
- Published
- Jun 25, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2062
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com//hunt228
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Summary
Thanks to our partners Promotive, WickedFile, Maverick Shop Owners, and Overdryve Why is a shop charging $300 an hour in Texas still taking home less profit than a shop in Maine charging $30 less? Does where you're located actually decide how much money ends up in your pocket — or is something else driving the gap? In the final installment of a three-part dive into the 2026 Auto Shop Benchmark Report, Hunt Demarest, CPA, breaks down the regional, size, and vehicle-type trends separating the most profitable shops in the country from everyone else. From the Southeast's 17% margins to the Southwest's labor-rate paradox, Hunt unpacks why charging more doesn't always mean keeping more — and why "your shop is no different" is only half true. Hunt also dives into the numbers behind general repair, diesel, and European shops, explains why bigger isn't always better, and closes with a sobering look at the technician shortage now threatening the entire industry. Whether you're running a one-bay diesel shop in the Midwest or a multi-bay European specialty shop in the Northeast, this episode is your roadmap to benchmarking against the right peers — not just the averages. What You'll Learn... (00:00) Intro (03:34) Kicking off Part 3 of the 2026 Benchmark Report series — this week, regional trends (05:40) Why productivity — not location — is the real leading indicator of profit (07:34) Where the top shops actually are (hint: the South didn't make the list) (08:36) The Southwest's labor-rate paradox — highest rates, lowest profit (12:40) "Your shop is no different" — the half-truth every owner needs to hear (14:28) The $1.4M myth — why bigger shops aren't necessarily more profitable (19:23) General repair vs. diesel vs. European — which type actually pays best (22:06) Parts margin vs…