Business Insider

Walmart employees reveal how much they really make

By Áine Cain
walmart employee
Daniel Becerril/Reuters
Read in app

Walmart has gotten its share of criticism for its salary policies.

Sen. Bernie Sanders lambasted the retail giant's pay rates for store employees as "starvation wages." Walmart has countered that its average store employee makes close to $15 an hour, despite the fact that its minimum starting hourly wage is $11.

Read more: Costco is raising its minimum wage to $15 as the war for talent rages on

Business Insider reviewed self-reported salaries for many roles on both PayScale and Glassdoor. Not all of the data was necessarily collected within the past year or so, so there may be a lag that explains why certain roles have average pay rates less than the chain's minimum starting wage of $11 an hour. 

Here's what employees make across your average Walmart store, according to self-reported data:

Cashiers cash out close to Walmart's minimum wage ...

walmart cashier employee cash
Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Based on 1,076 reported salaries, Glassdoor ended up estimating that cashiers made almost an entire dollar more than Payscale's estimation.

Glassdoor average hourly rate: $11

PayScale average hourly rate: $10.14

... and sales associates rake in marginally more

Walmart employee
J.D. Pooley / Stringer/ Getty

Glassdoor and Payscale indicate that you might make more helping guests in the stores than manning the registers.

Glassdoor average hourly rate: $11

PayScale average hourly rate: $10.59

Bakers make around the same amount of dough as cashiers ...

walmart bakery secaucus
Rachel Askinasi/Business Insider

This time, Payscale had more optimistic data regarding the Walmart employees responsible for serving up fresh and hot baked goods.

Glassdoor average hourly rate: $10

PayScale average hourly rate: $11.56

... as do customer service associates

walmart secaucus checkout
Rachel Askinasi/Business Insider

In this case, Glassdoor had a lower estimation when it comes to the wages of employees tasked with helping customers.

Glassdoor average hourly rate: $10

PayScale average hourly rate: $11.23

Deli clerks can make dollars more than their colleagues

deli counter walmart secaucus
Rachel Askinasi/Business Insider

If Glassdoor and Payscale are any indication, deli clerks at Walmart take home meatier paychecks than some of their coworkers.

Glassdoor average hourly rate: $11

PayScale average hourly rate: $11.14

Overnight stockers wages hang toward the low side of the scale

Walmart employee
Lucas Jackson/Reuters

The night shift doesn't necessarily pay off, according to Glassdoor and Payscale data.

Glassdoor average hourly rate: $10

PayScale average hourly rate: $10.71

Licensed opticians have their sights set on a higher wage

walmart optician vision center
Yelp

There's certainly money to be made helping Walmart customers see more clearly. Payscale and Glassdoor both estimate that licensed opticians make considerably more than their colleagues within the store.

Glassdoor average hourly rate: $23

PayScale average hourly rate: $22.80

Got a tip? Email acain@businessinsider.

Read next

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Aine Cain
Áine Cain
Áine Cain was a senior reporter for Business Insider, covering Walmart, Target, Costco, Home Depot, Lowe's, and Ikea.She wrote about the changing nature of the retail business, the labor issues affecting retail employees, and the trends that consumers should know about. Occasionally, she delved into crime, multi-level marketing schemes, and weird history.Cain previously wrote about careers and business strategy for Business Insider.
HOME Subscribe Read in app