WASHINGTON, D.C. — Auto dealers added 42,000 jobs since January 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This past January alone, the industry added 3,400 positions, pushing the total employee count to just north of 1.16 million.

This total count represents the highest level of employment among car dealers since August 2008, when the employee count was closer to 1.17 million, according to the bureau. The lowest point for the industry was November 2009, when the employee count sunk to 998,800.

Based on the BLS’ preliminary findings, dealership employees earned about $19.85 per hour, on average, in 2013, up from the 2012 average of $19.10 per hour (stat excludes supervisory staff). 

December’s average income for dealership employees reached $20.18 per hour, the second highest level on record aside from June 2013, when hourly wage reached $20.21. The average income has steadily climbed since 2003, when the annual average earnings totaled $17.85 nationally.