30 Best Jobs That Pay $15 an Hour: Some are Surprising
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Let's look at the best jobs that pay $15 an hour.
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in states without $15 minimum wage laws costs federal and state taxpayers more than $107 billion per year. The funds go to assistance programs for low-wage workers and their families.
A minimum wage hike of jobs paying $15 an hour would assist millions of employees, make the economy more equal, fuel growth, and help alleviate the misery of perpetual poverty.
Let's take a closer look at where you can find jobs that pay $15 an hour.
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- Types of Jobs Pay That $15 an Hour
- Which Companies Offer Jobs Paying $15 an Hour?
- Aetna
- Aldi
- Amazon
- Bank of America
- Best Buy
- Boomers Parks
- Charter Communications
- Chipotle
- Cigna
- Costco
- Disney World
- Hobby Lobby
- Ikea
- Jimmy John's Sandwiches
- JPMorgan Chase
- McDonald's
- Sam’s Club
- Santander Bank
- Signet Jewelers
- Southwest Airlines
- Starbucks
- TJ Maxx
- Target
- Under Armour
- Walgreens
- Walmart
- Wayfair
- Wells Fargo
- What About Remote Jobs Paying $15 an Hour?
- Why is $15 an Hour the Minimum Wage?
- Conclusion
Types of Jobs Pay That $15 an Hour
Fortunately, numerous jobs are available that pay an hour or more, plus bonuses and overtime, and require few or no particular skills (but do check out our list of jobs that pay $50 an hour for more ideas).
Cashier Jobs
Cashier jobs paying $15 an hour include responsibilities such as receiving payments and issuing receipts, gift-wrapping, and supervising all cash and credit transactions.
You should have some experience in a customer service position and an understanding of how cash registers work.
Home Health Aide Jobs
Home health aides assist those who cannot care for themselves or conduct everyday duties such as cooking, cleaning, dressing, and bathing.
Fast-food Workers
U.S. fast food restaurants employ over 5 million individuals in various positions such as prep cooks/grill cooks, dishwashers, counter help, delivery personnel, and customer service.
There are currently 5,058,748 people employed in the fast food restaurant industry in the U.S.
Administrative Assistant Jobs
Administrative assistants manage files, prepare messages, schedule appointments, support other team members, provide exceptional customer service, and more.
Construction Workers
A construction worker or day laborer is responsible for erecting scaffolding, moving construction materials, or running heavy machines to pour concrete and demolish buildings.
Which Companies Offer Jobs Paying $15 an Hour?
The federal minimum hourly wage rate has remained firmly stuck at $7.25 per hour for the past decade. Still, several major corporations have taken it upon themselves to raise the pay of their lowest wage earners to $15 an hour or more. These include the following:
Aetna
One of the nation's leading health insurers was the first to declare that they would be paying $15 an hour to all employees. Aetna increased its minimum wage again to $16 for all workers beginning in April 2015.
Employees received an average hourly salary increase of 11%, with some receiving as much as a 33% hike.
Aldi
You can find jobs paying $15 an hour at Aldi, the grocery store famous for its low prices. You can also get warehouse positions at $19 an hour starting wage.
Amazon
In 2018, Amazon finally raised its minimum wage rate in the United States from $7.25 to $15 per hour for all full-time, part-time, temporary, and seasonal employees.
Employees are also entitled to medical, dental, and vision benefits and paid life and disability insurance. But just make sure you're ready to work in a fast paced environment.
Bank of America
Bank of America dramatically upped its minimum wage to $21 per hour, the most recent rise in its commitment to provide a minimum starting wage of $25 by 2025.
According to Bank of America, this is a $13 per hour gain since 2010, making it premium pay on this list.
Best Buy
In August 2020, the electronics store boosted its minimum starting wage to $15. Best Buy's typical employee now earns $17.67 per hour.
Boomers Parks
Boomers Parks amusement park chain, including their California, Florida, and New Jersey locations, raised its minimum wage to $15 per hour beginning in June 2021.
Charter Communications
Since 2018, the broadband connectivity provider has implemented a $15 minimum starting wage. As of March 2021, Charter Communications' minimum pay is $18 per hour.
Chipotle
Restaurants like Chipotle experienced difficulties recruiting enough employees due to competition from other businesses, childcare challenges, and increased unemployment benefits.
They raised their average hourly salary to $15 in 2021 to hire at least 20,000 new employees.
Cigna
Cigna, the United States health insurance giant, pledged in January 2018 to pay its employees a minimum wage rate of $16 an hour, with many employees receiving raises higher than that amount.
It also stated that it would invest $30 million in 401(k) matching so that employees would receive an additional 1% contribution match for the year.
Costco
Costco began paying at least $16 starting wages an hour to employees in March 2021, and the company pledged to implement a wage increase to $17 an hour.
More than half of Costco's hourly employees now earn $25 or more.
Disney World
The raise to $15 an hour up from a starting wage of $10 an hour resulted from an agreement reached between Disney World and its principal United States union in August 2018.
Since 2015, the social media behemoth had begun paying its employees at least $15 per hour.
In May 2019, Facebook announced that it intends to raise this figure to $18 per hour in Seattle and $20 per hour in high-cost-of-living regions such as San Francisco, New York, and Washington DC.
It may not appear to be much of a strain for a wealthy tech giant like Google to offer jobs paying $15 an hour or more, but the change didn't happen until 2019.
The hourly wage increases were in response to increasingly angry complaints from Google's many temporary and third-party workers.
Hobby Lobby
Hobby Lobby pays its employees well, and the craft retailer is hiking its minimum salary once more.
They will pay all full-time hourly employees at least $18.50 per hour. A raise from the previous year's minimum of $15, Hobby Lobby implemented a company-wide minimum pay rate in 2009.
It has hiked the minimum hourly wage a dozen times in the past 13 years.
Ikea
Starting in 2022, new Ikea United States recruits — including full-time, part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers — will enjoy jobs paying $15 an hour, with some paying up to $16 or more in starting wages, depending on geography.
In addition, because of a record-breaking sales year, the business will award $76 million in performance-based bonuses.
Jimmy John's Sandwiches
Jimmy John's cashier and sandwich maker pay rates range from $8 to $15 per hour. Depending on location and other factors, drivers can earn up to $30 per hour.
JPMorgan Chase
The location of JPMorgan Chase's offices determined the company's wage increase. It began paying employees in Chicago, Detroit, and Wilmington, DE a minimum wage of $15 per hour to $16.50 per hour.
On the other hand, employees in high-cost cities like New York City and San Francisco earn an $18 minimum hourly wage.
McDonald's
Not every employee will be in jobs paying $15 per hour, but all McDonald’s workers will receive a 10% wage boost for company-owned restaurants.
With full implementation, the starting wage for crew workers will be at least an $11 to $17 hourly wage, while shift supervisors will be paid at least $15 to $20 per hour.
Sam’s Club
Since September 2021, supermarket chain Sam's Club has paid all employees at least $15 per hour.
According to the store, most Sam's associates already make at least that much, and the average hourly salary is more than $17.
Santander Bank
Santander Bank of Boston, like many other banks in Massachusetts and across the country, raised its minimum wage for employees to $15 per hour in 2018.
Signet Jewelers
Signet Jewelers, the parent company of Kay Jewelers, Zales, Jared, H. Samuel, Ernest Jones, Peoples, Piercing Pagoda, and JamesAllen.com, announced its minimum wage would be raised to $15 in February.
The world's largest diamond jewelry store expects to finish the procedure by spring 2022.
Southwest Airlines
Beginning August 1, 2021, Southwest Airlines increased its minimum starting wage for around 7,000 employees to $15 per hour.
Starbucks
Starbucks workers in jobs paying $15 per hour will see their compensation rise to $17 per hour by summer 2022.
Additionally, beginning in January, workers who have been with the employer for at least 2 years received up to a 5% hourly wage increase.
TJ Maxx
TJ Maxx's hourly wage ranges from $9.72 to $16.98. Employees' pay differs according to their job title.
TJ Maxx store managers, for example, earn the most, with the average wage at about $20 per hour. Sales Associates and Associate Merchandisers earn an hourly wage of $11.
Target
Target stated in June 2020 that it would raise the starting hourly wage for all U.S. employees to $15 per hour. It was the result of a three-year-long series of salary raises.
Under Armour
Under Armour corporation announced a minimum pay rate rise of up to 50% for hourly workers. Hourly rates rose from a minimum of $10 per hour to $15 per hour, effective June 6, 2021.
Walgreens
Walgreens increased their hourly wage for all employees to $15 beginning in October, with the hike set to be fully completed by November 2022.
The increase follows a massive recruiting frenzy in which Walgreens hired 25,000 full-time and part-time workers.
Walmart
In February, Walmart, the country’s largest private employer, announced that it was planning to pay its workers $15 an hour.
But Walmart only increased the hourly wage by $1. So the minimum wage rose to $12 from the $11 hourly base set in 2018.
Wayfair
Since January, all U.S. employees at Wayfair's online home products have earned at least $15 per hour (find out if Wayfair is legit). The company announced that more than 40% of Wayfair's hourly employees would receive immediate wage increases.
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo stated that by the end of 2020, it would raise the minimum wage for all employees to at least $15 per hour. For workers in high-cost areas, the minimum wage is now as high as $20.
What About Remote Jobs Paying $15 an Hour?
Some people appreciated working from home during the lockdowns and plan to do so in the future. They have their own schedule and want to work flexible hours.
Whatever your motivation for looking for remote or work-from-home jobs, you'll discover that there are many online jobs paying $15 an hour.
Check them out on FlexJobs by clicking the button below.
Check out Remote Jobs on FlexJobsWhy is $15 an Hour the Minimum Wage?
Earning a minimum of $15 per hour is vital because it gives you more buying power and a living salary, especially if you are transitioning out of low-paying employment.
Earning $15 per hour might make a significant difference in your life, generating an extra $3,300 per year.
It also means you'd be able to afford necessities like nutritious food, health insurance, and child care (and we made a list of the best part time jobs with health insurance and other benefits). It also assists full-time employees in staying above the federal poverty line.
Conclusion
For job seekers hunting for an in-person job, look at online job boards on sites such as Indeed, LinkedIn Jobs, Google Jobs, and many more. These function as digital job boards, posting thousands of vacancies where you can find jobs paying $15 per hour. You can usually also set job alert notifications to get the latest job alert sent to your email.
During your job search, check the new job postings every few days – you will find a job you can enjoy and earn a decent hourly wage.
We have a few other articles that might interest you, too! Check them out below during breaks in your job search:
- For students: The Best Online Jobs for College Students (that are Actually Fun)
- How to Make 1,000 Dollars Fast: 35 Great Ideas for How to Make 1,000 a Day, Week, or Month
- How to Make Money Online Without Paying Anything (Seriously!)
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