Target Increasing Starting Wages to $24/Hour for Some Jobs & Expanding Health Care Benefits

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Target employees inside the store

Looking for work? Target is committed to investing in its team.

Target announced plans to set a new starting wage range for all of its hourly employees and is also planning to expand access to health care benefits for more of its team members and their families.

Target’s minimum starting wage has been $15 per hour for about two years. Now, the company is setting a new starting wage that will range from $15 to $24 per hour. This will apply to hourly team members working in Target stores, supply chain facilities, and company headquarters, making Target a wage leader in every market where it operates.

3 Target team members

An employee’s starting wage within that $15-$24 range will depend on the job and the local market, with pay set by the retailer based on industry benchmarking, local wage data, and other relevant factors.

Target employees walking aisles

Beginning in April with its new benefits cycle, Target also will also offer faster access to health care coverage for its hourly team members, in addition to new and enhanced benefits. These changes include:

  • Expanded access to health care benefits. Hourly store team members who work a minimum average of 25 hours a week (previously 30) will now be eligible to enroll in a medical plan.
  • Reduced enrollment waiting periods. Depending on their position, eligible team members can now access comprehensive health care benefits three to nine months sooner than in previous years.
  • Enhanced benefits. Target will provide additional benefits, including virtual physical therapy at no cost, enhanced fertility benefits, and other new wellness offerings under most of its medical plans.

target employee helping customer

We want all team members to be better off for working at Target, and years of investments in our culture of care, meaningful pay, expanded health care benefits and opportunities for growth have been essential to helping our team members build rewarding careers. – Melissa Kremer, chief human resources officer, Target

Under Target’s new compensation package, team members also will gain faster access to 401(k) plans. This announcement builds upon other recent improvements that Target has made to its pay and benefits, including the following perks:

  • A debt-free education assistance program with access to more than 40 schools and 250+ business-aligned programs.
  • Access to health care for all team members via virtual doctor visits and mental health counseling, as well as online resources to support mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
  • Adoption and surrogacy reimbursement and paid family leave.
  • Access to more stable schedules and one-on-one meetings with team leaders to accommodate team members’ desired hours.
  • Ongoing coronavirus benefits, including free backup care for all team members, paid leave, providing all U.S.-based hourly team members with two hours of pay per dose (including boosters) when they get the coronavirus vaccine, and providing all U.S.-based team members with free Lyft rides to get to and from their vaccine appointments.

Sound like a great place to work? Find out if Target is hiring near you!


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Comments 18

  1. Stella

    That’s the decent thing to considering they are a multibillion corporation whose profitability and growth of sales exceeded expectations throughout the last two years amidst the pandemic. Treat your employees as a valuable asset; treat your customers fairly. That’s a business model I will support.

  2. Patty

    I’m not generally a Target shopper but I’m guessing their prices will reflect this, they have to, so we’ll see how Target fares after that.

    • Clestina

      This isn’t anything new for them FYI. They’ve been leading in their minimum wage and benefits for quite a few years and keeping their prices competitive. This is their business model to attract and keep good help.

  3. Rac

    That makes me happy, I’m more willing to pay a bit more for good business practice. I also like their costumer service. Good job Target!

  4. llc

    Workers at Target = Happy, Helpful, Nice
    Workers at Walmart = Unhappy, Unhelpful, Rude

    I wonder if its just the pay that reflects this or just corporate culture. I still shop at Walmart when I have to but I do dread it.

  5. Sunflower

    I don’t want to seem negative. I all for it, but it seems like the more they increase the pay, the less staff they have available. Sometimes I feel like I’m at Kmart with only two registers open. I don’t want them bragging about paying their employees $24, but decreasing their hours. A cashier complained about that the last time her salary went up.

    • Lana

      Exactly! A friend who used to work there said they work them just about to death.

    • C

      @sunflower- yes- and many can’t put that together… in order to pay for these increases they increase prices and/or cut staff or hours 🤷🏼‍♀️ It’s hard in target here to find an employee aside from one at the electronics desk… also they cut opening hours (at least here) …. notice they’ve put in self checkouts also (here at both stores and the next city over)… and the self checkouts are always open- heck sometimes they’re the only checkouts open!

  6. Tricia

    I think it’s great for them but the more stores like Target and Starbucks raise their pay the more you’re gonna see a healthcare shortage. My husband has been a first responder for 11 years and makes $13.89 an hr. He’s currently considering quitting to work at places like this and many of his co-workers are considering the same. While like I said I think it’s great for Target, Starbucks etc workers, but something needs to be done to pay our first responders more than someone serving coffee. That’s just wrong.

    • MJ

      Exactly! Just imagine calling 911 in an emergency and there’s nobody there to help! Our first responders should be the ones making the higher wages – they all deserve hazardous duty pay and our utmost respect- I live in a small county in North Central Florida and we love all our first responders!

      • Tricia

        Exactly! People don’t realize the ones who come when they need someone and who saves their lives make so little. I live in central Florida 🙂

    • Lucy

      I am about graduate from a LMFT program and in TX. I am seeing pay rates starting at $35 hr. After so many years of going to school and while I am happy that this is happening it sheds light on how pay grade variability is way off.

      • las00

        whats a LMFT program ??

    • Susan

      I agree

  7. Sarah

    Yup why don’t nurses first responders educated people make more? I’ve worked my self up just to see new people getting more pay and better options that I worked so hard for! Stab in the back stab in the back! Essential worker and never had any down time during pandemic!

  8. K

    My son works at Target and he said they were told regular workers would not be seeing this pay increase and that it’s mainly for those who work in warehouses in big cities.

    • C

      No surprise 🤣🤦‍♀️🙄

  9. C

    I think Costco pays more

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