Walmart Promotes 500 People Every Day. Its Chief People Officer Says These Traits Help Workers Move Up.

An online grocery order needs filling. A shopper in the aisle needs help finding something.

For a Walmart associate, the job can mean moving between those demands. It requires locating products, packing purchases and getting orders to customers, all while answering questions on the sales floor. That is the work Walmart describes in its own recruiting materials. The company warns that the pace can become intense on evenings, weekends and holidays. 

Walmart’s associates don’t stay in those positions for long. According to a new Business Insider report, Walmart promotes about 500 employees every day. Staff members have ample opportunities to climb the corporate ladder and advance at the company. 

Walmart employs about 2.1 million people worldwide, including about 1.6 million in the U.S. and 500,000 internationally, according to its fiscal 2026 annual report. Those figures are valid as of January 31. 

Walmart’s chief people officer, Donna Morris, said in an interview with Business Insider that employees who advance through the ranks quickly happen to share two qualities. 

She said standing out first starts with doing their current job well. The employees who get noticed put their energy into delivering strong work and making meaningful contributions. 

“They are focused as much, if not more, on being exceptional at what they’re doing today,” Morris told Business Insider.

After mastering their current role, these employees look for ways to show that they are ready for a bigger challenge. Taking on higher-level work, suggesting improvements and volunteering for new projects can demonstrate readiness for a higher position before a promotion arrives, Morris said. 

“Be the person that asks or provides volunteerism for new ideas or new initiatives,” Morris said.

How much Walmart pays employees

According to Walmart’s corporate website, the company’s U.S. associates receive their first promotion in nine months, on average.

Walmart noted on its website that its average U.S. hourly employee earns more than $18.50 an hour. That figure is an average across workers, not a guaranteed offer to a new hire. The company lists a broad hourly range of $14 to $37 for team-associate roles, with pay varying by position and region. Supply-chain employees earn an average of $27.50 an hour, according to Walmart.

“Approximately 75% of our U.S. salaried store, club, and supply-chain management started their careers in hourly positions,” Walmart disclosed. “Associates in these roles earned an average of more than $123,000 in FY2025.”

The company also wrote that over the past decade, over 115 former Walmart employees have advanced to become CEOs at other firms. 

“People gain exceptional experience and transferable skills by leading here,” Walmart claimed. 

What does it take to get a foot in the door at Walmart? Morris told Business Insider that she looks for evidence that candidates have worked through challenges rather than giving up. 

“Be the type of person that takes on over and above what’s being expected of you,” Morris said.

An online grocery order needs filling. A shopper in the aisle needs help finding something.

For a Walmart associate, the job can mean moving between those demands. It requires locating products, packing purchases and getting orders to customers, all while answering questions on the sales floor. That is the work Walmart describes in its own recruiting materials. The company warns that the pace can become intense on evenings, weekends and holidays. 

Walmart’s associates don’t stay in those positions for long. According to a new Business Insider report, Walmart promotes about 500 employees every day. Staff members have ample opportunities to climb the corporate ladder and advance at the company.