How Much Does Target Pay? Hourly Wages by Role

Target hourly pay is not a single number. A store team member in a small market and a team lead in a large metro area work under the same company name and take home different amounts. Target pays by job and by local labor market, and it posts the rate for each opening on its careers site.

The figures here come from two kinds of sources. Payscale collects pay that employees report themselves, so it reflects what people say they earn. The BLS figures, shown through O*NET OnLine, are national medians for an occupation across all employers. Neither is a Target pay scale, and the page treats them that way.

The Payscale average for Target is $17.39/hr, based on employee reports. Reported averages by title run from $14.35/hr to $25.13/hr, which gives a realistic sense of the spread between entry-level and lead positions. Some of those reports may come from supply chain or headquarters hourly jobs, so the average is not strictly a store figure.

Target does not publish a current companywide wage range that this page can cite. Starting pay differs by store, role and state, and the job listing for your location is the most reliable source. Search the posting for the specific position you want rather than relying on a national average.

Employees report a clear gap between the lowest and highest hourly titles in Payscale's data. The cashier title sits at the bottom, and a team lead on the operations side sits at the top.

The spread shows why moving from a register role to a lead role matters more than most small raises. Leads take on scheduling, coaching and closing duties, and the pay reflects that. Titles vary by store, and a posting may use different wording for the same job.

Several things move a Target paycheck up or down:

• State and city. Minimum wage laws and local competition for workers push pay higher in some places and lower in others.
• Role. Stocking, cashiering, order pickup, food service and leadership roles do not pay the same.
• Shift. Some overnight or early-morning shifts may pay a differential, so read the posting.
• Experience. Prior retail or leadership experience can lift the starting offer, though Target decides case by case.

Ask the recruiter what the rate is for the shift and role you are considering, and whether it differs between the days and times on offer.

State differences are easy to see in cashier data across all employers. The table shows typical pay for the occupation in four states, with the low and high ends of the reported range.

A Target cashier in California is likely to earn more than one in Texas simply because the whole labor market pays more there. The same logic applies in other states. Look at the range for your own state before judging an offer.

Nationally, retail salespersons have a median of $17.03/hr across all employers. Target's self-reported average of $17.39/hr is close to that figure, though the two measure different things. The table gives the other store occupations for comparison.

The supervisor row is the best yardstick for a team lead job. It covers first-line supervisors of retail workers anywhere in the country, and it tends to sit well above entry-level medians.

1. Open the careers section of Target's website and filter by your city or ZIP code.
2. Open a posting for the role you want and look for the hourly rate or range listed there.
3. Compare two or three nearby stores, because rates can differ between them.
4. Confirm the rate and expected weekly hours during the interview.

Applicable state and local pay transparency rules may require employers to show a range in the posting, so the listing is usually worth more than a general estimate.