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Tier M / Mass Retail Hourly

Kroger starting pay and pay schedule

By HireTea Updated 2026-06-21

Kroger pay — verified fact

Kroger's 2025 Responsible Business Report says Kroger's average hourly wage is nearly $19.50, or nearly $25.35 including comprehensive benefits, after $2.7 billion in incremental wage investments since 2018. This is a stronger current company-wide pay source than the older Western-states-only aggregate, but exact pay should still be checked in the current posting and local agreement because many sampled store and corporate postings did not disclose a public pay range.

Source: Kroger 2025 Responsible Business Report · Tier 1 · accessed 2026-06-21

Kroger benchmark snapshot for pay

HireTea scores this Mass Retail Hourly profile as application friction 45; pay transparency 40; assessment clarity 40; source depth 50. For this topic, the main comparison signal is pay transparency at 40/100, which reads as thin.

  • Application path: applications start through Kroger Family Careers on Oracle for most Kroger-family roles; Harris Teeter uses a separate careers/profile/submissions portal; applicants may be asked to complete role-specific requisition type or screening.
  • Source signal: 9 fact-sheet sources feed this benchmark, including Kroger Family Careers portal, Kroger Family Careers grocery retail page, Kroger Delivery career area, Kroger Supply Chain and Distribution career area, Kroger Health and Wellness career area.

Should you apply to Kroger? Decision map

Quick framework for Kroger pay — branches based on your situation.

❓ Ask recruiter if

  • What is the actual hourly range for associate at this location?

📋 Save evidence if

  • Background-check disclosures for Kroger Family Careers on Oracle for most Kroger-family roles; Harris Teeter uses a separate careers/profile/submissions portal (prior addresses, employment dates, contact info) — save these before applying.
  • Screenshot of the role-specific requisition type or screening completion screen — proof you finished the screen.
  • Academic transcripts and enrollment proof for Continuing education assistance.
  • Posted pay range and the date you saw it — the offer letter must match.

Kroger associate pay floor check

Company-specific pay context

  • Source pay anchor: Kroger's 2025 Responsible Business Report says Kroger's average hourly wage is nearly $19.50, or nearly $25.35 including comprehensive benefits, after $2.7 billion in incremental wage investments since 2018.

Use these federal and state wage floors as a legal-floor check, not as a Kroger wage promise.

Jurisdiction Minimum wage Source
Federal floor $7.25/hr U.S. DOL
DC $17.95/hr U.S. DOL state table
WA $17.13/hr U.S. DOL state table
CT $16.94/hr U.S. DOL state table
CA $16.90/hr California DIR
NY $16.00-$17.00/hr New York State
NJ $15.92/hr U.S. DOL state table
OR $14.05-$16.30/hr U.S. DOL state table
FL $14.00/hr U.S. DOL state table

Company pay source: Kroger 2025 Responsible Business Report

Federal and state minimum wage data verified 2026-05-20. Refresh every 90 days.

Sources for this Kroger guide

Known limitations

  • Verify the exact Kroger family banner, store or facility location, union/local policy, department, schedule, minimum age or food/pharmacy eligibility, and posting-specific screening steps before relying on one Kroger-wide flow.

Tool option

Check whether your resume supports the Kroger pay band

After you compare Kroger pay, check whether your resume shows the experience, schedule fit, and role evidence that justify the posting you want. Teal's resume checker can compare your current version against the job description before you spend another application on the wrong fit.

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Last verified

Fact sheet last updated
2026-06-21
Pay source verified
2026-06-21