Save the exact wording
Copy the posting's pay range, schedule, shift, job ID, location, and date viewed before the posting changes.
Pay
Pay clarity benchmarks from indexed company hubs
Use this page before you compare hourly offers or decide which application deserves your time first. It groups pay range language, pay schedule notes, wage-access signals, and education-benefit clues from the current HireTea public index without inventing market averages or treating old comments as current pay evidence.
25 indexed company hubs analyzed
18 hubs with pay policy notes
8 source-backed pay facts
Quick answer
How should you compare pay before applying?
Compare the exact posting first, then check whether the company hub has a source-backed pay fact, a clear starting range, a pay schedule, and a benefit that changes the total value of the job. A higher hourly number can still be weaker if the hours are unreliable, the commute is expensive, the schedule blocks another job, or the benefit only becomes available after an eligibility period.
Separate pay from value
Base pay, predictable hours, paid training, education support, and commute cost can point in different directions.
Do not average weak data
When a company only says pay varies, treat the active posting and recruiter message as the controlling evidence.
Dataset scope
What this pay benchmark covers
The benchmark uses indexed company hubs and their source-backed fact-sheet fields. It is not a wage survey, and it does not estimate your local offer. Instead, it tells you which employers have clearer public pay signals, where the current posting must do the work, and which extra details you should save before comparing two roles.
| Pay signal group | Indexed hubs | Representative companies | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published floor or range signal | 10 | Walmart, McDonald's, The Home Depot, Target, and CVS Health | Use this as a clarity signal, then verify the current posting, shift, market, eligibility rules, and offer packet. |
| Posting-controlled pay signal | 7 | TJX Companies, Publix, Albertsons Companies, Alphabet / Google, and Dollar General | Use this as a clarity signal, then verify the current posting, shift, market, eligibility rules, and offer packet. |
| Agreement or scale influenced | 4 | Kroger, UPS, Costco Wholesale, and Walt Disney Parks | Use this as a clarity signal, then verify the current posting, shift, market, eligibility rules, and offer packet. |
| Local operator dependent | 2 | Marriott International and Hilton Worldwide | Use this as a clarity signal, then verify the current posting, shift, market, eligibility rules, and offer packet. |
| Role and market dependent | 2 | Amazon and FedEx | Use this as a clarity signal, then verify the current posting, shift, market, eligibility rules, and offer packet. |
Category view
Pay clarity patterns by category
Category patterns help you choose where to research next. They do not replace role-level evidence. Retail, restaurant, grocery, hospitality, warehouse, pharmacy, and technical roles can all use different pay language, and a local posting may be more useful than a national employer page.
| Category | Hubs | Pay policy notes | Source-backed pay facts | Common schedule signals | How to compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail | 13 | 8 | 4 | biweekly and weekly or biweekly depending on banner | Open the company hub, save the posting pay line, and compare schedule reliability before ranking offers. |
| Restaurant | 5 | 4 | 3 | biweekly and biweekly typical | Open the company hub, save the posting pay line, and compare schedule reliability before ranking offers. |
| Warehouse | 3 | 3 | 1 | weekly, weekly or biweekly depending on site, and weekly typical for unionized roles | Open the company hub, save the posting pay line, and compare schedule reliability before ranking offers. |
| Hospitality | 3 | 3 | 0 | biweekly typical | Open the company hub, save the posting pay line, and compare schedule reliability before ranking offers. |
| Tech | 1 | 0 | 0 | posting-specific | Open the company hub, save the posting pay line, and compare schedule reliability before ranking offers. |
Company examples
Company pay signals to compare
These examples show what to save before you decide that one employer pays better than another. The safest comparison uses the company hub, the active posting, and any recruiter or offer message that mentions the exact role, shift, location, and eligibility date.
| Company | Pay range language | Pay schedule | Wage-access signal | Clarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walmart | varies by state, locality, and role | biweekly | available | Strong pay evidence |
| Amazon | competitive within local market; varies by site and shift | weekly or biweekly depending on site | available | Usable pay evidence |
| McDonald's | varies widely by state, franchise, and California fast-food minimum | biweekly typical | varies by franchise | Strong pay evidence |
| The Home Depot | varies by state and role | biweekly | available via partner | Usable pay evidence |
| FedEx | varies by hub and role | weekly | varies by hub | Usable pay evidence |
| Target | $15+/hr stated minimum; varies by market | biweekly | available via partner | Strong pay evidence |
| Kroger | varies by state, locality, and union contract | weekly or biweekly depending on banner | varies | Usable pay evidence |
| UPS | typically above industry minimum due to Teamsters union contract | weekly typical for unionized roles | varies | Strong pay evidence |
| CVS Health | $15+/hr stated minimum; varies by market | biweekly | available via partner | Strong pay evidence |
| Costco Wholesale | industry-leading among major US warehouse retailers; varies by market | biweekly | limited | Strong pay evidence |
| Lowe's | varies by state and role | biweekly | available via partner | Usable pay evidence |
| Marriott International | varies by property, brand, and market | biweekly typical | varies by property | Usable pay evidence |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill | varies by state, locality, and California fast-food minimum | biweekly | available | Strong pay evidence |
| Walt Disney Parks | union-negotiated minimums for Walt Disney World; varies by role | biweekly typical | limited | Usable pay evidence |
Source-backed examples
Pay facts with visible source notes
A source-backed pay fact is stronger than generic pay advice because it names the employer signal that changed the page. Still, applicants should treat the active posting as the final source because wages can change by state, city, facility, role, shift, union agreement, franchise, and date.
| Company | Source-backed pay note | Source | Date viewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walmart pay guide | Walmart raised starting hourly wages from $12 to $14 in early 2024, with store associate pay range of $14-$19/hr; average hourly wage reached $18.25 in 2025 | Walmart corporate How Much Do Walmart Associates Make page | 2026-04-25 |
| McDonald's pay guide | California AB 1228 (effective April 1, 2024) sets minimum wage at $20/hour for fast-food workers at chains with 60+ US locations. Applies to all McDonald's California locations (corporate and franchise alike). Other states use state or local minimum wage. | California Department of Industrial Relations — Fast Food Minimum Wage FAQ | 2026-04-25 |
| Target pay guide | Target raised starting hourly wage to $15 effective July 5, 2020 — months ahead of its original commitment to reach $15 by end of 2020. Applied to 275,000+ team members across stores, distribution centers, and headquarters. Continued increases in higher-cost markets since. | Target corporate press release: '$15 Starting Wage and Frontline Bonus' (June 17, 2020) | 2026-04-25 |
| UPS pay guide | 2023 Teamsters national contract (effective through 2028): part-time package handler starting wage immediately raised to $21/hour, with top-out reaching $25.75 by end of contract. Full $7.50 in raises over the contract life ($2.75 immediate). Part-timers with 5+ years tenure receive additional longevity increase up to $1.50/hour. | Teamsters Local 396 — 2023-2028 UPS Contract summary | 2026-04-25 |
| CVS Health pay guide | CVS Health announced August 2021 that minimum hourly wage would rise to $15/hour effective July 2022 — a 60%+ increase over four years. About 65% of hourly employees already earned more than $15/hour at announcement. Pharmacy technicians and call center representatives have higher starting rates. CVS also removed the high school diploma/GED requirement and GPA requirements for most entry-level roles. | CVS Health press release: 'CVS Health announces wage increases' | 2026-04-25 |
| Costco Wholesale pay guide | March 2025 employee agreement (3-year): minimum starting wage raised to $20/hour (up from $19.50 in July 2024). Average hourly wage exceeds $31. Immediate $1 increase at top of scale, plus additional dollar increases scheduled for March 2026 and March 2027. First-year employees gain access to paid vacation; 30-year employees can take up to six weeks off. Negotiated following Teamsters union organizing. | Fortune coverage of Costco March 2025 wage announcement | 2026-04-25 |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill pay guide | California AB 1228 (effective April 1, 2024) sets minimum wage at $20/hour for fast-food workers at chains with 60+ US locations. Chipotle is covered. Other states use state or local minimum wage; Chipotle has confirmed menu price increases in California to offset wage costs. | California Department of Industrial Relations — Fast Food Minimum Wage FAQ | 2026-04-25 |
| Starbucks pay guide | Starbucks committed to $15/hr minimum wage by summer 2022 (one year ahead of schedule), with barista pay range $15-$23/hr. Effective August 2022, partners with 2-5 years tenure received raises of at least 5%; partners with 5+ years received at least 7%. Average barista pay reached $17/hr by summer 2022. | Restaurant Dive — 'Starbucks will raise hourly wage floor to $15 a year ahead of schedule' | 2026-04-25 |
Applicant workflow
How to compare pay without overreading the benchmark
Start by saving the exact posting. Then score the parts that change your real take-home decision: base rate, expected hours, shift differential, commute, paid training, benefit eligibility, education support, promotion path, and how quickly the employer communicates after you apply. If two postings look close, the clearer one may be the better first application because you can plan around it with less guesswork.
1. Capture the posting
Save title, job ID, location, date viewed, base pay wording, schedule wording, shift label, and employment type.
2. Check total value
Look for paid training, predictable hours, education benefits, health eligibility, commute cost, and transfer options.
3. Ask one precise question
If the pay line is vague, ask which rate applies to this role, location, shift, and start date before accepting.
Evidence to save
Pay evidence to save before an offer changes
Save more than the hourly number. Keep the posting URL, screenshot or PDF, job ID, market, shift, full-time or part-time status, overtime language, bonus language, training-pay note, benefit eligibility date, recruiter message, and offer packet. If the page only says pay varies, write that down too so you remember which detail still needs confirmation.
Use the worksheet
Compare two postings when pay clarity, schedule fit, commute, and evidence quality point in different directions.
Use the tracker
Download the application tracker to keep pay notes beside job IDs, status changes, and follow-up dates.
Read the method
Review the source methodology to see why source-backed facts are separated from posting-controlled details.
Benefits context
Where education benefits fit into a pay decision
18 indexed company hubs include an education or tuition-program note in the current public index. Treat those benefits as part of total value only after checking eligibility, required hours, waiting periods, covered programs, reimbursement rules, and whether the benefit applies to the specific role you are considering. A benefit that starts later may still matter, but it should not replace the current paycheck math.
| Company | Education benefit signal | Eligibility cue |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart | Live Better U | low daily fee; tenure and hours-per-week thresholds apply |
| Amazon | Career Choice | hourly associates after 90 days of employment |
| McDonald's | Archways to Opportunity | typically minimum hours per week and tenure threshold; varies by franchise |
| The Home Depot | Tuition reimbursement | tenure and hours-per-week thresholds apply |
| FedEx | Tuition Assistance Program | tenure and hours-per-week thresholds apply |
| Target | Dream To Be | full-time and part-time team members; tenure and hours requirements apply |
| Kroger | Feed Your Future | associates working a minimum number of hours per week; specific tenure threshold applies |
| UPS | Earn and Learn | part-time package handlers in participating markets; specific terms vary by location and school |
| CVS Health | Tuition reimbursement | tenure and hours-per-week thresholds apply |
| Costco Wholesale | Tuition reimbursement | tenure and hours requirements apply |