The most efficient automotive suppliers: 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.
Continental leads with 91,802 €/employee, ahead of CATL (56,533) and Cummins (52,447).
Automotive suppliers by profit per employee
| # | Company | Size | Country | € / employee | FY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Continental | Germany | 91,802 | 2025 | |
| 2 | CATL | China | 56,533 | 2025 | |
| 3 | Cummins | United States | 52,447 | 2025 | |
| 4 | Infineon | Germany | 45,413 | 2025 | |
| 5 | Hyundai Mobis | South Korea | 42,315 | 2025 | |
| 6 | Knorr-Bremse | Germany | 39,374 | 2025 | |
| 7 | Pirelli | Italy | 35,715 | 2025 | |
| 8 | Brembo | Italy | 22,896 | 2025 | |
| 9 | Michelin | France | 21,463 | 2025 | |
| 10 | Bridgestone | Japan | 17,792 | 2025 | |
| 11 | OPmobility | France | 17,353 | 2025 | |
| 12 | HASCO (Huayu Automotive) | China | 16,967 | 2025 | |
| 13 | Goodyear | United States | 14,724 | 2025 | |
| 14 | Magna International | Canada | 13,194 | 2025 | |
| 15 | Valeo | France | 11,394 | 2025 | |
| 16 | Forvia | France | 11,223 | 2025 | |
| 17 | Denso | Japan | 9,565 | 2026 | |
| 18 | Schaeffler | Germany | 8,578 | 2025 | |
| 19 | Aptiv | Ireland | 7,393 | 2025 | |
| 20 | Sumitomo Electric | Japan | 6,290 | 2025 | |
| 21 | Aisin | Japan | 5,324 | 2026 | |
| 22 | Lear | United States | 4,087 | 2025 | |
| 23 | Mobileye | Israel | -91,532 | 2025 |
Fiscal years can differ by company (FY column).
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.
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 automotive supplier is the most efficient?
Continental generates the highest profit per employee of any automotive supplier, at 91,802 euros per employee, ahead of CATL (56,533) and Cummins (52,447). 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.
What does this metric tell you?
Profit per employee shows how much profit a company generates per head, independent of sheer size. High values point to a high-margin business model; losses appear as negative values.
The analysis behind the numbers.
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The German Autopreneur, by Philipp Raasch, 10 years at Mercedes-Benz.
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