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CarMax salary estimate

$39,445yearly

$18.96 hourly rate

Entry-level salary
$27,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding CarMax Salaries

The average salary at CarMax in 2025 is $39,445, reflecting the company’s commitment to competitive compensation. Salaries vary significantly based on roles, with the highest paying positions including sales managers and automotive service technicians. Additionally, geographic location plays a crucial role in salary differences, with employees in high-demand areas often earning more.

For instance, sales positions can command higher salaries compared to administrative roles. Understanding these dynamics is essential for job seekers aiming to align their career aspirations with potential earnings. Whether you are considering a position at CarMax or evaluating current compensation, this data equips you with the insights needed to make informed decisions.

Highest paying jobs at CarMax

The highest paying jobs at CarMax are senior software engineer, cosmetics supervisor, operations manager, and mechanic. Senior software engineer jobs at CarMax earn an average yearly salary of $119,589, CarMax cosmetics supervisor jobs average $65,901, and CarMax operations manager jobs average $55,884.

The lowest paying CarMax roles include customer advisor and business office associate. CarMax customer advisor average salary is $34,201 per year. So while the average CarMax salary is $39,445 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at CarMax

RankJob titleAverage CarMax salaryHourly rate
1Senior Software Engineer$119,589$57.49
2Cosmetics Supervisor$65,901$31.68
3Operations Manager$55,884$26.87
4Mechanic$50,005$24.04
5Buyer$42,861$20.61
6Auto Technician$42,241$20.31
7Inventory Lead$41,372$19.89
8Sales Consultant$41,336$19.87
9Automotive Technician$40,154$19.30
10Production Manager$39,902$19.18
11Management Assistant$39,724$19.10
12Senior Sales Representative$37,600$18.08
13Customer Assistant$37,424$17.99
14Service Advisor$37,125$17.85
15Inventory Associate$36,814$17.70
16Office Administrator$36,626$17.61
17Service Operator$36,565$17.58
18Detailer$36,390$17.50
19Business Office Associate$36,228$17.42
20Customer Advisor$34,202$16.44

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Average CarMax salary by state

CarMax pays the highest salaries in Texas due to higher costs of living and competition in the state.

RankStateAverage CarMax salaryHourly rate
1Texas$39,871$19.17
2Maryland$39,590$19.03
3Virginia$38,581$18.55
4North Carolina$38,503$18.51
5Georgia$38,478$18.50
6Tennessee$35,364$17.00

How much does CarMax pay by location?

The average CarMax salary varies by location. CarMax salaries are the highest in Westborough, MA, at $46,204 per year. CarMax pays the second highest average salary in Roseville, CA, at $46,087 per year. It's important to factor in the cost of living when negotiating a salary or choosing a place to work.

Highest paying CarMax locations

RankLocationAverage CarMax salaryHourly rate
1Westborough, MA$46,204$22.21
2Roseville, CA$46,087$22.16
3Vancouver, WA$44,333$21.31
4Hartford, CT$43,896$21.10
5Downe, NJ$42,644$20.50
6Minneapolis, MN$41,712$20.05
7Garden City, MI$41,293$19.85
8Denver, CO$40,909$19.67
9Portland, OR$40,525$19.48
10Warrensville Heights, OH$40,288$19.37
11Hillside, IL$40,279$19.36
12Houston, TX$39,714$19.09
13Rockville, MD$39,440$18.96
14Henderson, NV$39,245$18.87
15Phoenix, AZ$38,885$18.69
16Raleigh, NC$38,640$18.58
17Kennesaw, GA$38,570$18.54
18Kenosha, WI$38,492$18.51
19Richmond, VA$38,465$18.49
20Indianapolis, IN$37,799$18.17

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CarMax salaries by department

Salaries at CarMax vary depending on the department you work in. CarMax salaries in the engineering department are the highest with an average salary of $85,218. Employees in the supply chain department at CarMax receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $46,738 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at CarMax include the customer service and the warehouse organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $36,364 and $37,324, respectively.

Average CarMax salary by department

RankDepartmentAverage CarMax salaryHourly rate
1Engineering$85,218$40.97
2Supply Chain$46,738$22.47
3Facilities$42,682$20.52
4Retail$42,120$20.25
5Sales$39,576$19.03
6Plant/Manufacturing$37,570$18.06
7Administrative$37,343$17.95
8Warehouse$37,324$17.94
9Customer Service$36,365$17.48

How much does CarMax pay by department?

Best paying CarMax sales salaries

RankPositionAverage CarMax salaryHourly rate
1Sales Consultant$41,336$19.87
2Sales Associate$33,700$16.20

Best paying CarMax administrative salaries

RankPositionAverage CarMax salaryHourly rate
1Administrative Assistant$37,930$18.24
2Office Administrator$36,626$17.61
3Business Office Associate$36,228$17.42

Best paying CarMax warehouse salaries

RankPositionAverage CarMax salaryHourly rate
1Inventory Lead$41,372$19.89
2Inventory Associate$36,814$17.70

CarMax competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at CarMax competitors, like Vudu, Staples, and Office Depot, vary. Vudu employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $67,887. The average salary at Staples is $37,239 per year, and the average salary at Office Depot is $35,997 per year.

Highest paying CarMax competitors

RankCompany nameZippia scoreAverage salary
1Vudu4.5$67,887
2Staples4.4$37,239
3Office Depot4.2$35,997
4Best Buy4.6$35,705
5AutoZone4.4$35,446
6Advance Auto Parts4.2$34,532
7TravelCenters of America4.5$33,792
8Whole Foods Market4.4$32,699
9The Home Depot4.6$31,965
10Sears Holdings4.3$31,936
11CST Brands4.2$31,485
12Kroger4.5$31,390
13Kohl's4.4$30,490

Recently added CarMax salaries

JobLocationDate addedSalary
Auction Service AssociateRosedale, MD06/28/2025$33,392
Buyer In TrainingNaperville, IL06/27/2025$62,900
Technician Production ManagerChicago, IL06/27/2025$57,600
Flow Inventory AssociateFresno, CA06/26/2025$41,093
Management AssistantBrooklyn Park, MN06/26/2025$33,392

What employees say about salary at CarMax

Employee reviews
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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2024
Pros of working at CarMax

Diverse level engagement for problem solving and there is an open dialogue channel to senior level leaders.

Cons of working at CarMax

Promotions tend to be biased based on personal relationships rather than skill or merit.

CarMax benefits

401k match

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1.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2024
Pros of working at CarMax

Benefits

Cons of working at CarMax

Management in NJ is not good. They got there on rules. If they like u . U can stay if they don’t they make you life hard with write ups. It s not worth the hassle.

What do you like best about CarMax's CEO and the leadership team?

Nothing. He doesn’t come around enough to talk to service employee.

How would you improve CarMax's culture?

Equal opportunity for all ages not just the young.

How did you prepare for the CarMax interview?

Ace it

What brings you the most joy at CarMax?

Nothing

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1.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2023
Pros of working at CarMax

benefits were good, fellow employees were great to work with, you get a bi-weekly paycheck

Cons of working at CarMax

upper management is not on your side, HR does not care about you, the family atmosphere is BS, pay is minimal, they look to get new employees in the door and than proceed to ignore you, sales consultants are underpaid by half vs a traditional dealership, healthcare is expensive, sometimes more than if purchased separately

CarMax benefits

40k was good

What do you like best about CarMax's CEO and the leadership team?

nothing, they care more about their shareholders than actually making the company successful

How would you improve CarMax's culture?

be a actual manager of people, get your head out of the sand , care about your employees and help them grow

How did you prepare for the CarMax interview?

good luck

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2023
Pros of working at CarMax

Team and the development culture.

Cons of working at CarMax

None - I love everything about working here.

CarMax benefits

Discount

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3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2023
CarMax benefits

The best part of working at Carmax is the 401k. It’s the reason I chose them over another employer paying me the same amount.

Cons of working at CarMax

Diversity is mostly at the lower level positions. The work is extremely routine.

Pros of working at CarMax

Good 401k, it’s 100% match up to 6%. Vacation and PTO is slightly above average.

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Pros of working at CarMax

The opportunity for growth and culture.

CarMax benefits

Finding the right cars for customers

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3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2021
Pros of working at CarMax

The pay is okay

Cons of working at CarMax

Forced overtime with no breaks for months at a time, moral at all times low because of this. Managers play favorites all the time, if you stand up for your self you are instantly on their bad side. They don’t care about lower levels employees at all and will often ignore input. They have an open door policy but it’s almost impossible to ever get management to adhere to it.

CarMax benefits

The healthcare is not the worst

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3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2021
Pros of working at CarMax

Great benefits,flexible schedule

Cons of working at CarMax

Micromanaging, favoritism in the workplace

CarMax benefits

President club

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2021
Pros of working at CarMax

The culture and the growth mindset mentality

Cons of working at CarMax

I would say the store is limited on growth in El Paso, the company as a whole has many opportunities for growth.

CarMax benefits

Student Tuition Reimbursement and having Christmas eve and day off

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1.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2020
Pros of working at CarMax

air condition, free food, easy work

Cons of working at CarMax

do others jobs, do unsafe repairs, leads pass defects to get cars out, glue is CarMax friend. install junk yard parts even if they have been in accident, leads have favorites and will throw other under the bus if you stand up to their bullying, managers lie and have favorites, you cannot work their if you have a DUI but if your a favorite of managers they will let you stay, they order used carpets and if they do not match the same color they have paint department paint it black, a lot of repair lines are canceled cause techs not want to do the work, lube techs do not change oil filters on some cars cause they are scared, majority of the cars have bent wheels but leads will say balance and move path, if you go to management with issues they pretend to care but do nothing, CarMax pays the lowest to their techs in the industry, they glue boots on suspension parts instead of replacing at times. if tire has side wall damage leads tell techs to turn it inside out, wheel repairs are done very bad, often leads will tell tech to move path and if customer notices they will bring it back to let retail deal with it, managers will judge employees all the time. saw manager cut a wrong seat frame and drill holes to make it fit on current seat. air bag wiring is repaired, your told to replace one brake rotor and resurface the other to save money, i been told to shave down brake pads to make it fit in caliper by leads, managers see damage and say its fine specially if its friday, tail lamps that are broken are glued if can be, holes are drilled on lights to drain water and then glued,

CarMax benefits

80% of the employees, free food, air condition

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2.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2020
Pros of working at CarMax

Benifits, work life balance, good pay until changes

Cons of working at CarMax

restructure lost integrity, cut pay

CarMax benefits

work life balance, retirement match and stock

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros of working at CarMax

The company culture is wonderful! There is tons of opportunity for growth. CarMax develops it's associates which makes us better professionally and personally.

Cons of working at CarMax

Regular associates aren't paid well till they get to a manager position.

CarMax benefits

I love every single person that I work with. They only hire kind caring people which makes for a pleasant working environment. I love our open door policy. I love that we get new personal goals.

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Pros of working at CarMax

Loved the work environment. The managers and employees were amazing on training someone new

Cons of working at CarMax

Didn’t have a set schedule

CarMax benefits

Health insurance And payed vacation

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Pros of working at CarMax

I liked working with several motivated individuals. I really enjoyed preparing the work that was required to make our sales run smoothly for our weekly auctions.

Cons of working at CarMax

I do not like the fact that I can't grow into a numbers position and am very limited into my capacity for what I want to grow into.

CarMax benefits

My favorite benefit is the healthcare insurance provided since it helps me take care of any medical issues I may have.

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3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2019
Pros of working at CarMax

Helping people finding what they were looking for and selling a quality product.

Cons of working at CarMax

The management was condescending and disingenuous.

CarMax benefits

Employee discount.

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2018
Pros of working at CarMax

This is a great company for employees who like a lot of structure. There are rarely any exceptions made to the rules. Good product and good opportunity for advancement

Cons of working at CarMax

It is very much like the military. Everything has a documented procedure. If you are more of a free thinking kind of employee this place is not for you.

CarMax benefits

Discount on personal automobile purchase.

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3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2018
Pros of working at CarMax

Meeting new people, working with some great people at car maxx, might have long hours but I built some great friendships. Ability to make money with car sales ship.

Cons of working at CarMax

Not making enough money. Long hours, always on my feet, away from my family. Work after holidays like Christmas, there really is no time to myself,

CarMax benefits

Meeting new people

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Frequently asked questions about CarMax salaries

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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of CarMax, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about CarMax. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at CarMax. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by CarMax. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of CarMax and its employees or that of Zippia.

CarMax may also be known as or be related to CarMax, CarMax Business Services LLC, CarMax Inc, CarMax, Inc., Carmax, Carmax, Inc. and carmax auto superstores.