The movement toward a higher minimum wage is on the rise — and some of the country’s biggest retailers are coming out on top with the highest-paid retail jobs.
At the start of the year, according to Footwearsnews, annual cost-of-living adjustments and other scheduled gains led wages to jump by pennies to a dollar for workers across 20 states, namely:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Ohio
- South Dakota
- Vermont
- Washington
Another four states – Connecticut, Nevada, Oregon, and Virginia – as well as Washington, D.C., will see increases in their base pay at the end of this year.
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In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, some retailers have raised pay and benefits to attract and retain workers.
Other retailers, however, have raised wages already at the time.
Meanwhile, U.S. workers are still facing a labor shortage due to the pandemic.
To combat this, many companies have raised starting salaries. Check out this list of top-paying retail jobs.
Hobby Lobby
By 2022, the crafts chain store will increase its pay to $18.50 an hour for full-time employees.
Amazon
At present, the online giant pays its U.S.-based employees $18 per hour, which is more than twice the federal minimum wage of $7.25.
Best Buy
A leading electronics retailer raised entry-level pay for entry-level employees to $15 with a range depending on the position.
Costco
Minimum wage increases to $17 per hour at the membership-only warehouse chain.
CEO Craig Jelinek told a Senate hearing that more than half of U.S. employees earn over $25 per hour.
CVS
As of last month, the pharmacy giant announced plans to raise hourly wages to $15 for all employees by July 2022.
Dollar General
Dollar General pays its workers the least out of 25 major retailers in the United States, according to UBS research.
Nevertheless, the company still pays above the national minimum wage at $9.68 an hour, on average.
Dollar Tree
UBS reported that Dollar Tree’s starting wage is $10 per hour on average, so Dollar General isn’t the only discount chain that pays more than minimum wage.
Ulta
According to Talent.com, Ulta pays $9-$14 an hour on average for Beauty Advisor positions, with an average starting pay of $11.
Ulta claims its average US salary is $34,125 per year or $17.50 per hour, with entry-level positions starting at $30,408, and most experienced workers earning up to $116,967.
Macy’s
In a statement on Nov. 9, Macy’s said it would increase its minimum wage to $15 per hour and introduce a tuition benefit program for all U.S.-based salaried and hourly employees.
Once Macy’s achieves its $15 minimum wage goal by May 2022, the average hourly base wage will be more than $17 an hour, the company said.
Puma
Puma North America and Puma Canada retail employees will start earning $15 per hour starting Nov. 29, according to an announcement on Nov. 22.
“Our dedicated retail employees are a vital link between our customers and the Puma brand. Raising our wages is the right thing to do, and I’m hopeful this positive change will ensure all of our employees feel supported and valued while pushing our entire industry forward toward this important benchmark,” said Bob Philion, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pumas North America.
“I’m grateful for our retail team’s unwavering commitment, especially as we have navigated ongoing uncertainties throughout the pandemic. It’s not been without its challenges, but I’m so proud of all we’ve accomplished and the growth we continue to see, rooted in the friendly faces of our in-store teams.”
Saks Off Fifth
Saks Fifth Avenue Discount announced on Oct. 14 that the minimum wage for hourly store associates would increase to $15 per hour in North America.
As part of its appreciation program, Saks Off Fifth will give its associates a $500 bonus.
Sam’s Club
Earlier this month, the Arkansas-based retailer raised its hourly wage to $15 from $11.
Target
The Minneapolis-based retailer raised its starting pay to $15 by the end of the year, as planned (no pun intended).
Under Armour
As a way to attract workers to the company in the midst of a labor shortage, Under Armour raised its minimum wage in June 2021 to $15.
Walgreens
The pharmacy in Chicago announced last month that it would be raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour. The company plans to implement gradual raises across its 9,000 stores by November 2022.
Wayfair
All U.S. employees at the home goods retailer will earn at least $15 an hour as of January 1.
Costco Associate
At $15 an hour, the retailer offers a competitive starting wage.
Walmart
A new operating model for its Supercenter stores will raise wages for about 165,000 hourly employees – or roughly 11% of the company’s U.S. workforce – in October 2020. The company keeps its minimum wage at $11. In some markets and locations, associates earn around $16.40 per month.
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Crate and Barrel
Sales associates’ starting salaries average $13 an hour, according to Glassdoor, and the pay of ales associates can range between $8 and $21, based on the position. The company also offers workers a 30% off discount on all goods, according to the employment site.
Nordstrom Rack
Based on 55 reported sales associate salaries on Glassdoor, Nordstrom’s starting hourly wage ranges from $10 to $20 with the average falling at $13.
Depending on your position, you can get a 20% or a 33% employee discount.
Glassdoor claims hourly workers get a 20% discount while management gets a very significant 33% discount.