The most efficient automakers: profit per employee

Profit per employee of the world's largest automakers and automotive suppliers, from the latest fiscal year and in euros. Compiled by Philipp Raasch, 10 years at Mercedes-Benz, independent automotive industry analyst.

As ofJul 12, 2026
SourceAnnual reports, ECB rates
Coverage42 manufacturers · 23 suppliers

Ferrari leads with 367,248 €/employee, ahead of Kia (148,502) and Maruti Suzuki (92,723).

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Bars relative to No. 1 · €/employee

Automakers by profit per employee

#CompanySizeCountry€ / employeeFY
1FerrariItaly367,2482025
2KiaSouth Korea148,5022025
3Maruti SuzukiIndia92,7232026
4General MotorsUnited States69,5222025
5SubaruJapan58,7372025
6Suzuki MotorJapan51,8352026
7BMWGermany45,7682025
8Hyundai MotorSouth Korea43,8042025
9Mercedes-Benz GroupGermany43,3412025
10ToyotaJapan42,7462026
11Seres GroupChina42,7192025
12Hyundai Motor IndiaIndia33,6502026
13IsuzuJapan31,6992025
14TeslaUnited States28,3142025
15FordUnited States28,2822025
16RenaultFrance24,1962025
17Chery AutomobileChina22,6812025
18MazdaJapan20,8622025
19GeelyChina20,7652025
20Mitsubishi MotorsJapan14,2462026
21Porsche AGGermany10,3682025
22VolkswagenGermany9,6802025
23Great Wall MotorChina9,6042025
24KG MobilitySouth Korea7,7482025
25Changan AutoChina5,8152025
26BYDChina3,8212025
27LeapmotorChina8712025
28Volvo CarSweden8152025
29SAIC MotorChina-1,4142025
30FAW CarChina-2,1172025
31Li AutoChina-2,3602025
32StellantisNetherlands-2,9672025
33JAC MotorsChina-9,4912025
34XPengChina-17,9382025
35GAC GroupChina-23,8522025
36Lotus TechnologyChina-48,2652025
37NIOChina-51,6032025
38HondaJapan-60,3802026
39LucidUnited States-103,4392025
40Aston MartinUnited Kingdom-108,3912025
41RivianUnited States-205,7622025
42PolestarSweden-1,042,5922025

Fiscal years can differ by company (FY column).

My take
Profit per employee is the industry's efficiency metric. It separates the automakers that earn a lot with a small workforce from the big employment machines. Whoever leads here generates the most per head, not necessarily the most in total.
Philipp Raasch
Philipp RaaschFounder · Der Autopreneur

Methodology

Profit per employee = operating profit of the automotive business in the latest fiscal year (in euros) divided by the number of employees. Profit here means the operating result of the automotive segment, not consolidated net income, so that taxes, financial services and one-off effects stay out. The employee figure is the group headcount. An efficiency metric: how much operating profit a company generates per head. Pure conglomerates such as Xiaomi (mostly smartphones) and Mahindra (tractors and financial services) are excluded because most of their revenue does not come from cars. Losses appear as negative values. Only companies with both figures available are included.

All information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Financial figures may be delayed, preliminary or contain errors. No guarantee of accuracy, completeness or timeliness. Exchange rates: European Central Bank.

Frequently asked questions

Which automaker is the most efficient?

Ferrari generates the highest profit per employee of any automaker, at 367,248 euros per employee, ahead of Kia (148,502) and Maruti Suzuki (92,723). As of Jul 12, 2026.

How is profit per employee calculated?

Profit per employee is the operating result of the automotive business from the latest fiscal year in euros, divided by the group headcount. It uses the operating result of the automotive segment, not consolidated net income, so that taxes, financial services and one-off effects do not distort the picture. The segment result is approximated from the reported segment margin and group revenue. An efficiency metric: how much operating profit a company generates per head. Losses appear as negative values.

Where do I find the most efficient suppliers?

The automotive suppliers have their own ranking. Continental leads there with 91,802 euros per employee. To the supplier ranking by profit per employee.

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