New economic impact data shows substantial three-year growth of the American automotive aftermarket, as the industry continues to cement itself as a significant driver of the nation’s economy.
The study, commissioned by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and conducted by John Dunham & Associates based on 2026 U.S. economy data, offers compelling evidence that the specialty automotive aftermarket is a major source of jobs, spending, and revenue.
The study shows:
- Total annual economic impact grew to $383 billion (a +14% increase from $336.9 billion)
- Industry wages increased to $107.7 billion (up from $104.3 billion)
- Total jobs are 1.25 million, with manufacturing employment an especially bright spot
Manufacturing is a major source of growth for the automotive aftermarket. Direct specialty-equipment manufacturing employment increased 8% since 2023, with nearly 9,000 jobs added, bringing total direct manufacturing employment to more than 118,000. Annual manufacturing wages increased by $3.9 billion to $13.2 billion, while direct manufacturing output rose by more than $29 billion to $82.7 billion.
“Three years after our first nationwide economic impact study, the data confirms that the specialty-equipment aftermarket remains a major American industry,” said SEMA CEO Mike Spagnola. “Our industry is still a big deal, contributing $383 billion to the U.S. economy and supporting 1.25 million jobs. This data should give policymakers a clear view of what is at stake and reinforce the importance of policies that enable American businesses to invest, hire, and manufacture domestically.”
ABOUT SEMA
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) serves as a leading voice for the worldwide car culture, representing over 7,000 member companies that create, buy, sell, and use specialty-automotive parts that make vehicles more unique, attractive, convenient, safer, fun, and even like new again. Business member benefits include product development resources, market research, networking, education, legislative advocacy and more. The Association organizes the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas and actively supports the career and business opportunities that the aftermarket generates. The industry contributes nearly $383 billion in economic impact to the U.S. economy, supports 1.25 million jobs nationally, and generates nearly $53 billion in parts sales annually. For more information, visit www.sema.org.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261027442455/en/
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