What supervisors earn
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers (SOC 41-1011), BLS OEWS, May 2025. There were 1,121,800 of these jobs.
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| Percentile | Supervisor hourly pay |
|---|---|
| 10th | $15.92 |
| 25th | $18.55 |
| Median | $23.33 |
| 75th | $29.87 |
| 90th | $37.06 |
The median is $7.52 above the median cashier ($15.81) and $6.30 above the median salesperson ($17.03). At 40 hours, that is about $300 and $252 a week before tax.
The honest note. Some supervisors earn little more than the people they lead. The 10th percentile is just 11 cents above the median cashier. These are different people in different places, so the gap is not a raise. Your store's numbers are what count. For your metro's cashier and sales rates, see pay benchmarks.
The work also grows. O*NET lists planning schedules, hiring, training, and promoting or firing as supervisor tasks (updated 2026). 38% of supervisors work more than 40 hours a week and 26% work less. 37% report time pressure every day.
What the step pays in postings read October 31
All read October 31, 2026. The Target and Dollar General rows compare jobs in one store.
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| Employer and place | Hourly job | Lead job | Step at 40 hours, before tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target, Silver Spring, MD (same store) | Guest advocate, $19.00 to start | General merchandise team leader, $25.00 to $27.00 to start | $240 or more, if you get 40 hours |
| Dollar General, Burlington City, NJ (same store, posted October 30) | Sales associate, $15.92 to $16.02 | Full-time lead, $16.42 to $16.67. Assistant manager, $17.02 to $17.52 | Lead $20. Assistant manager $44, at the low ends |
| Aldi, Palmetto and Bradenton, FL | Part-time associate, $19.50 | Lead store associate, $21.50, 38 hours a week | $80 |
| Home Depot, New York, NY (two stores) | Cashier, $18.50 to $19.00. Customer service and sales, $18.50 to $21.00 | Department supervisor, $20.50 | $60 to $80, or none |
| Lowe's, Norwich, NY | Upstate minimum wage, $16.00 (NY DOL) | Head cashier, $16.00 to $16.65 | $0 to $26 |
Target's team leader posting warns that the job "does not come with a guarantee of 40 hours each week." So ask.
What employers say about moving up
These are the companies' own accounts. No government source shows the odds of promotion or how long it takes, so this page gives no timeline of its own.
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| Employer | What it states (read October 31, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Walmart | First promotion in nine months on average, and about 75% of U.S. salaried store, club and supply chain managers started hourly. Walmart Academy offers "job-specific retail training and leadership courses." Pay: team lead $19 to $37 an hour, coach $75,000 to $104,000 total, store lead $100,000 to $150,000 total. A July 16, 2026, report says team lead $19 to $40 |
| Target | Team leader to executive team leader. A Lombard, IL, executive team leader posting shows $64,000 to $128,000. Dream to Be covers about 500 programs for eligible workers. The Silver Spring team leader job says retail experience is "preferred, but not required" |
| Aldi | Ladder: stocker, cashier, store associate, lead, assistant manager, trainee, manager. Assistant manager, Minneapolis: $27.00, 38 hours. Store manager trainee, Silver Springs, FL: $29.50, 45 to 50 hours, and "up to" $89,000 to $98,500 in year 1 as a manager, an estimate |
| Trader Joe's | "78% of Mates (supervisors) started as Crew." All captains were promoted from mate. Mates can also be hired from outside |
| Costco | "the vast majority of our warehouse managers worldwide began their Costco careers in hourly positions" |
| Lowe's | Features one worker's path: seasonal cashier, head cashier, department manager, service manager, assistant manager, store manager. That is one story, not a timeline |
| Dollar General | "On average, a Part-Time Sales Associate can advance to Store Manager in 3 years without a college degree" |
| Kroger stores, Publix | Kroger: up to $21,000 in tuition over a career. Publix: a "promote-from-within philosophy" and leadership programs |
What lead postings ask. Lowe's head cashier: "1 Year Retail experience as a cashier." Home Depot head cashier: 1 or more years preferred. Aldi assistant manager: retail and management experience "preferred," plus travel to stores within 30 miles or a 45-minute drive. Show your experience truthfully: retail resume tips. Start the talk with this:
"I would like to move up. What would you need to see from me to be considered for (job)? Which skills should I learn first? Can I train on (register, opening, ordering)?"
When a promotion ends your overtime
This is information, not legal advice. Federal rules first (U.S. DOL Fact Sheet 17A, revised September 2019). State rules below.
Hourly leads earn overtime. If you are paid by the hour, overtime at time and a half over 40 hours generally still applies, whatever the job title.
Salaried managers can lose it, but only if all four tests are met:
- Salary of at least $684 a week, or $35,568 a year (U.S. DOL salary levels page, read October 31, 2026; 29 CFR 541.600, current through October 29, 2026).
- Primary duty is managing the business or a recognized department.
- Regularly directs two or more other full-time employees or the equivalent.
- Has authority to hire or fire, or recommendations that get particular weight.
A title proves nothing. The rule speaks to store jobs directly: a retail assistant manager can be exempt even when running the register more than half the time. "However, if such assistant managers are closely supervised and earn little more than the nonexempt employees," they generally do not qualify (29 CFR 541.700(c)). And someone whose primary duty is routine, repetitive work cannot be an exempt executive (29 CFR 541.106).
The math that catches people:
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| Job | Pay | Hours | Weekly gross | Per hour worked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly associate | $19.00 | 40 | $760.00 | $19.00 |
| Hourly lead with overtime | $20.00 | 45 | $950.00 | $21.11 |
| Salaried, no overtime | $900 a week | 50 | $900.00 | $18.00 |
| Salaried at the federal minimum | $684 a week | 50 | $684.00 | $13.68 |
The salaried $900 job sounds like a raise over $760. Per hour worked, it is less than the associate job. It also pays less than the hourly lead job, for 5 more hours.
Some states set higher lines. Washington: $1,541.70 a week in 2026 (L&I). New York: $1,199.10 to $1,275.00 a week by region (NY DOL). California: twice the state minimum wage for full-time work, which at $16.90 comes to $1,352 a week (DIR). All read October 31, 2026. Other states differ, so call your state labor office.
Think you were misclassified? Keep your schedules and write down your real hours and duties. Call the Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243. Back wage claims generally run 2 years, or 3 if the violation was willful (U.S. DOL, read October 31, 2026).
What to ask before you say yes
"Before I say yes, can I get this in writing: the new rate, the start date, and whether the job is hourly or salaried? If it is salaried, will I still get overtime? What hours do people in this job really work each week? Will I have to close, open, or cover other stores? Do I keep my days off? What training comes first? When is the next raise? If it does not work out, can I go back to my old job?"
Then do this:
- Run the numbers. Divide weekly pay by the real hours. Compare it with what you make now.
- Check your life. Aldi's trainee job states 45 to 50 hours. Parents and students should price that in child care and class time.
- Know what you are taking on. Hiring, firing, loss numbers and schedules land on you. Aldi's trainee is told to achieve "store payroll and total loss budgets."
It is fine to say no. Staying hourly can pay better per hour, and overtime stays yours. Prefer a different path? See retail vs customer service, or read the retail jobs guide. Interviewing for a lead job? Start with retail interview questions. Comparing employers? See retail pay by store.
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