Walmart managers to earn at least $128,000 a year in new salary program, company announces

There are pay raises coming this year for present and future Walmart employees, the company announced Thursday.

Both wages and bonus programs are changing starting Feb. 1. Base pay for store managers will increase from $117,000 to $128,000 a year, and depending on a store's profit, annual bonuses could reach up to 200% of a store manager's salary.

"We are on a journey of investing in our associates," Cedric Clark, Executive Vice President of store operations for Walmart U.S. said in a company note that was shared with the public.

"We see an investment in you as an investment in our culture, our core values and in the day-to-day experience of every associate in every store. Investing in you is an investment in our future," Clark said.

The company told CNN that it hasn’t made any changes to store managers’ pay structures in more than a decade.

Along with salary increases for managers, comes an increase for the company's hourly workers. Clark, who started as an hourly worker in a Washington state Walmart, said the company will invest in its non-salary workers by increasing the hourly wage to over $18.

"I was able to grow my career because people invested in me. I know firsthand that the possibilities are endless when working at Walmart. And the possibilities are endless for you and for everyone you lead every day," Clark said in the release.

See what's new at Walmart for consumers

Walmart has announced multiple changes for consumers as well, that are either coming or already rolled out. Here are a few.

Sensory-friendly hours:Walmart will adjust the environment each day during this time

Sensory-friendly hours

Walmart announced in November that it will have "sensory-friendly" hours daily at every store across the country, USA TODAY previously reported.

From 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. local time at stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Walmart will change the TV walls to a static image, turn off the radio and lower the lights where possible in order to make their stores a less stimulating environment and more inclusive for those with sensory disabilities, the retailer said in a news release.

More drone deliveries, new AI tech:Here's a guide to what Walmart unveiled at CES 2024

An increase in drone deliveries

Walmart is expanding its drone delivery service to 1.8 million additional households in the Dallas Fort-Worth metroplex, USA TODAY recently reported. The company says this is the first time a U.S. retailer has offered drone delivery to this many households in a single market.

Walmart also offers drone deliveries in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Utah and Virginia.

AI-powered search tools

A new generative AI-powered search experience is now available on iOS, and available to all platforms later this quarter.

How it works: Say a customer is throwing a Super Bowl party, they can search “football watch party” to find relevant items instead of typing in multiple searches for things like chips, chicken wings and soda, USA TODAY previously reported.

Virtual try-ons

Walmart is working on a new augmented reality (AR) experience called Shop with Friends.

Customers will be able to try on virtual outfits via a virtual model similar to their body type and share the look with their friends for feedback.

Bailey Schulz and Gabe Hauari contributed to this story.