The most efficient automakers: profit per employee

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

As offiscal years 2025/2026
SourceAnnual reports, ECB rates
Coverage43 manufacturers · 23 suppliers

Last checked Aug 26, 2026

Ferrari leads with 367,248 €/employee, ahead of Kia (154,823 €/employee) and Maruti Suzuki (89,159 €/employee).

View
Bars relative to No. 1 · €/employee

Automakers by profit per employee

#CompanySizeCountry€ / employeeFY
1FerrariItaly367,2482025
2KiaSouth Korea154,8232025
3Maruti SuzukiIndia89,1592026
4General MotorsUnited States68,1392025
5SubaruJapan58,5222025
6Suzuki MotorJapan51,6452026
7Hyundai MotorSouth Korea47,7402025
8BMWGermany45,7682025
9Mercedes-Benz GroupGermany43,3412025
10ToyotaJapan42,5892026
11Seres GroupChina42,2102025
12Hyundai Motor IndiaIndia32,9522026
13IsuzuJapan31,5832025
14TeslaUnited States27,7512025
15FordUnited States27,7192025
16RenaultFrance24,1962025
17Chery AutomobileChina22,4112025
18MazdaJapan20,7862025
19GeelyChina20,5182025
20Mitsubishi MotorsJapan14,1942026
21Porsche AGGermany10,3682025
22VolkswagenGermany9,6802025
23Great Wall MotorChina9,4902025
24KG MobilitySouth Korea8,4072025
25Changan AutoChina5,7462025
26BYDChina3,7752025
27LeapmotorChina8612025
28Volvo CarSweden8112025
29SAIC MotorChina-1,3972025
30FAW CarChina-2,0922025
31Li AutoChina-2,3322025
32StellantisNetherlands-2,9672025
33JAC MotorsChina-9,3782025
34NissanJapan-13,1482026
35XPengChina-17,7252025
36GAC GroupChina-23,5682025
37Lotus TechnologyChina-47,6912025
38NIOChina-50,9892025
39HondaJapan-60,1592026
40LucidUnited States-101,3812025
41Aston MartinUnited Kingdom-107,8902025
42RivianUnited States-201,6692025
43PolestarSweden-1,021,8512025

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 (154,823) and Maruti Suzuki (89,159). As of fiscal years 2025/2026.

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.

The analysis behind the numbers.

What is really happening in the automotive industry. Every Sunday, in 5 minutes.

Subscribe for free

The German Autopreneur, by Philipp Raasch, 10 years at Mercedes-Benz.

No spam. Unsubscribe with one click.