CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Walmart, the largest private employer in West Virginia, announced Thursday it’s going to raise wages.
The new Walmart minimum wage will be $9 an hour by the end of 2015. The increase will impact about 500,000 Walmart employees.
Walmart president and CEO Doug McMillon announced the higher pay in a letter to his associates. McMillon said they’ll raise the entry wage in April. By Feb. 2016, all current associates will earn at least $10 an hour.
He said they’re also strengthening their department manager roles by bumping the starting pay up to $13 an hour this summer and at least $15 an hour early next year.
In the letter, McMillon stated; “After all, we’re all associates. We have different roles at different times in our career and every one of them is important. Today’s cashiers will be tomorrow’s store or club managers. Today’s managers are tomorrow’s vice presidents. Tomorrow’s CEO will almost definitely come from inside our company.”
McMillon said there will be no better place in retail to learn, grow, and build a career than Walmart.
Walmart has been the top private employer in West Virginia since 1998.