Walmart Raising Wages for 160,000 Employees, Some Up to $30 Per Hour

Walmart, with stores in Utica and Rome, is announcing plans to raise the wages of 160,000 employees, as well as new leadership roles for workers. In Supercenters, some employees could earn as much as $30 per hour.

Retail giant Walmart says, under a new role structure, it plans to raise wages for employees and move toward a "team-based operating model" at Supercenter stores.

In a post on their website, the company's Chief Operating Officer says the company is working to develop the roles and skills training to give Walmart the flexibility "to serve customers anytime and anywhere. In turn, associates will have more room for career and pay growth."

Certain employees will be chosen for the new, expanded roles. Beginning in October, hourly team lead roles will be paid between $18 and $21 an hour, and if they work at a Supercenter, they could be paid up to $30 an hour, the company COO, Dacona Smith, stated.

Workers in the deli and bakery areas would be paid from $11 an hour to $15. Hourly employees in the auto care center would receive an increase of $1 or more per hour.

The Walmart stores in Utica, New Hartford, Herkimer, Oneida, and Rome are all considered 'Supercenters'. Walmart stores saw online sales skyrocket during the pandemic. In New York, large retailers like Walmart and Target were allowed to remain open while other smaller stores were forced to shutter.