Asda, Aldi, Lidl: which supermarket jobs pay the most right now?

Asda has confirmed its latest pay rise for retail staff, a week after Aldi announced its second pay rise of 2024. In total, six UK supermarkets have invested in raising staff wages this year as firms battle to retain talent.

Major food retailers are upping worker salaries in preparation for the new living wage of £11.44 an hour. Staff aged 21 and over will start receiving the new rate from April 1.

Big-name employers are upping the rate by more than this amount in an attempt to snare job seekers. With a record number of people out of work, labour shortages are a genuine threat to supermarkets and the war for talent is fierce.

Below, our up-to-date list will keep track of the rate rises to find where hourly workers can get the biggest pay packet for their weekly shop.

Aldi

New hourly pay: at least £12.40

In mid-March, Aldi announced its second wage rise of 2024, surpassing the wage rise of its biggest competitor, Lidl. Aldi’s 40,000 workers will receive an updated minimum hourly rate for store workers of £12.40 p/h nationwide.

Managers and store deputies will benefit most from the increase, with their average pay booming from £12 to £12.40 p/h (£13.65 p/h for those based in London).

With the raise, Aldi is doubling down on its recruitment drive which it says will see it hire 5,500 new staff in 2024. However, the new rate will only be introduced on June 1, representing a big wait for those wanting to cash in on a well-paid job this month.

What other perks do I get?

Like Lidl, Aldi offers a very competitive benefits package to employees including discounted gym membership and cinema tickets. It is also one of the few supermarket chains to offer paid breaks, which it estimates adds an additional £900 per year to employee wage packets.

Asda

New hourly pay: at least £12.04

Asda’s latest wage rise means it narrowly pips rival ‘Big Four’ supermarkets Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Morrisons to become the highest paying grocery store in the UK.

In early March, the brand announced it would raise entry-level wages nationwide by 8.4% on July 1, bringing hourly pay up to £12.04 p/h (or £13.21 p/h for workers based in London). Ahead of this, wages will also increase in line with the new minimum wage on April 1 to £11.44 p/h.

We should note, however, that the increase comes amid turmoil for Asda’s workforce. Earlier this year the supermarket announced it would trial a four day week for staff in a bid to resolve worker disputes which have led to waves of resignations and strike action.

The new rate has been hastily tabled by Asda in light of the chaos, and the increase will not be introduced until July 1; making it both the largest and most delayed pay rise in this list.

What other perks do I get?

As well as the four day week trial, Asda offers a day-one 10% discount to all employees on any shopping completed in-store. The company has also unveiled two new benefits, ‘Care Concierge’ and ‘Mortgage Advice Bureau’, which are available to all 150,000 Asda employees.

Tesco

New hourly pay rate: at least £12.02

Tesco is one of the UK’s biggest employers with more than 330,000 staff currently donning its famous blue fleece. In February, the chain announced it will increase the hourly pay rate for colleagues in stores, from £11.02 to £12.02 p/h which is above the Real Living Wage.

Those based inside the M25 will also receive a boosted London Living Wage of £13.15 p/h from £11.75 p/h. Pay for Sunday workers will also increase from £12.89 to £13.22 p/h. 

Employees have welcomed the announcement, however there has been some backlash that the rise will not be implemented until 28 April, almost a month after the legal minimum wage for those aged 21 and over increases.

What other perks do I get?

Embodying its famous slogan of Every Little Helps, Tesco has also announced it will raise the allowance on its Colleague Clubcard (an employee discount card for saving money on your shopping) to £2,000 per year, up from £1,500.

Lidl

New hourly pay rate: at least £12.00

Lidl’s pay rise has been anything but little. In January, the German retailer announced its 26,000 hourly wage staff would receive at least £12.00 p/h; the company’s third pay rise in one year it claims is “up to 17% higher” than the national minimum wage increase.

From March 1, workers in entry-level roles have seen a pay boost from £11.40 to £12.00 p/h outside of the M25, rising to £13.00 p/h if you stay for longer than one year.

Meanwhile, those based within the M25 now earn £13.55 p/h up from £12.85 p/h. Again, this will increase to £13.85 over time. Those who work a shift on a bank holiday will also earn an additional £2 p/h, while night shift staff will pocket an extra £3.50 p/h.

What other perks do I get?

Employees for Lidl GB can benefit from a whole raft of market-leading employee perks including 28 weeks of paid maternity and adoption leave, a 10% employee discount, and the Cycle to Work scheme.

Sainsbury’s

New hourly pay: at least £12.00

Sainsbury’s was one of the first supermarket chains to jump on the wage rise bandwagon when it announced a £200m pay package for its workforce in early January.

120,000 hourly wage workers at Sainsbury’s will have their pay increased from £11 p/h to £12.00 p/h (up to £13.35 p/h for Londoners) to give in-store and warehouse workers an additional £1,910 a year in their payslips.

Excitingly, the pay boost was introduced a full month earlier than the new minimum wage rate came into effect, making Sainsbury’s the swiftest pay rise rolled out by UK grocers.

What other perks do I get?

Sainsbury’s predominantly rewards its staff through a discount scheme. In its online announcement, Sainsbury’s listed a range of employee benefits that includes a colleague discount of 15% at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday and 15% at Argos every payday.

Co-op

New hourly pay: at least £12.00

Co-op, the supermarket chain famous for its ethical food standards and fair trade, announced this month it would be giving its 70,000 employees a pay increase to at least £12 p/h in order to ensure all Co-op jobs keep in line with the new Real Living Wage.

The convenience chain said the move represents its biggest ever investment into pay and will come into effect on April 1. Employees in London, meanwhile, will see their hourly rate increase from £12.25 to £13.15 p/h.

Like Aldi, Co-op is also rewarding senior leadership with a 10.1% increase, bringing their pay up from £12.10 to £13.32 p/h.

What other perks do I get?

Every Co-op employee receives a similar benefits package that includes paid breaks and a healthy 30% discount on all Co-op branded products.

Waitrose

New hourly pay: at least £11.55

Waitrose has a reputation as a premium supermarket chain – which is ironic given its pay packet is the least generous in this list.

From 1 April, hourly minimum pay for Waitrose workers will rise from £10.50 p/h to £11.55 p/h nationwide. London staff will have their pay upped to £12.89 p/h from £11.72 p/h.

Despite the windfall, Waitrose’s owner, the John Lewis Partnership, made less positive headlines last year after it shared plans to reduce headcount. The announcement means 11,000 roles across both Waitrose and John Lewis could be made redundant by 2029.

What other perks do I get?

Waitrose has one of the most generous employee discount programs in the UK with staff receiving 15% off all Waitrose purchases. Workers can also claim up to £60 a year from the employer for tickets for concerts and music festivals.