This $400K a Year Job Requires No Degree (and the Company Is Hiring)

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Things that come to mind when thinking about Walmart are probably super low prices, maze-like stores and deals galore. One thing that probably does not come to mind, however, is that the retail giant offers $400,000 jobs — with no degree necessary, to boot.
As The Wall Street Journal reported, store managers are now being offered larger bonuses to their annual pay packages, “pushing the total compensation for the best ones to more than $400,000 a year.”
Store managers often oversee 350 workers in stores with $100 million in annual revenue, per the WSJ, and many of them have started as clerks, going up the corporate ladder.
“We’re having a great time at our Walmart U.S. Year Beginning Meeting in Houston, where we just shared that our Store Managers will now receive an annual grant of Walmart stock starting in April! The amount is based on their store format, and for a Supercenter, it’ll be $20,000 in stock each year,” John Furner, Walmart president and CEO, stated in a Jan. 31 LinkedIn post.
Walmart To Continue Supporting Store Management
Walmart will “increase its investment” in store managers by updating its bonus program, Cedric Clark — executive vice president, store operations, Walmart U.S. — wrote in a note sent to employees and posted on its website.
First, Clark said that the giant will increase store manager wages, and store managers’ average salary will go to $128,000 a year from $117,000.
“Second, we’re redesigning our store manager bonus program. In addition to sales, your store’s profit will play a bigger role in calculating your annual bonus. If you hit all targets, your bonus could now be up to 200% of your base salary,” Clark wrote.
Clark also noted that 75% of the field management teams began their Walmart careers in the hourly ranks.
“So did I. My Walmart career started as a sporting goods hourly associate in Washington state. I was able to grow my career because people invested in me,” he added.
While higher education can help you land a high-paying job faster, contrary to popular belief there are some high-paying jobs which don’t require a college degree. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that between 2020 and 2030, 60% of new jobs in the economy will be in occupations that don’t typically require an associate’s, bachelor’s, or graduate degree.
At the end of 2023, Walmart employed approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide, with approximately 1.6 million associates in the U.S., according to its website.