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BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Walmart today announced that it is raising pay for approximately 3,700 pharmacists and 4,000 opticians while also rolling out a new pathway for opticians to grow their careers with industry-recognized training that’s 100% paid for by the company.
Walmart pharmacists will now be paid more than $140,000, not including bonuses and incentives, the company said. Walmart expects that its opticians will earn more than $22.50, on average, as a result of the pay increases announced today.
The pay increases build on raises given to pharmacy technicians last year, the company said.
“In many communities, Walmart’s pharmacy and vision center associates are the most accessible health care providers for busy families,” according to a post on Walmart’s website jointly written by Kevin Holt, senior vice president, health & wellness, pharmacy, and David Reitnauer, vice president, health & wellness, optical. “Whether it’s offering prescriptions and immunizations at everyday low prices, providing counsel, or helping customers save money so they can live better, these associates are making a difference.”
Walmart is serious about being an “employer of choice for talented individuals in these fields,” Holt and Reitnauer wrote, noting that the push for talent comes as the company continues to add primary care clinics at its Supercenter locations.
Walmart intends to open 28 new Walmart Health centers this fiscal year while expanding the concept’s footprint into two new states – Missouri and Arizona. With the planned expansion, the company expects by year’s end to have more than 75 Walmart Health locations, each staffed with qualified doctors, dentists, behavioral health specialists, and community health workers.
Today’s announcement represents “another step in our strategy to offer good jobs that lead to great careers,” Holt and Reitnauer wrote.
“At the same time, we are making it easier for our vision center teams to grow their careers with the launch of the new Optician Development Program. This new program will help our vision associates access higher-paying roles and more career opportunities by obtaining nationally recognized certification and licensure from the American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners as they continue to help patients see better to live better. The training is offered through the Optical Training Institute and is paid for 100% by Walmart, including reimbursement for any of the fees associated with the certification or licensure,” the executives wrote.
“We’ve been continuously raising wages and creating new pathways across the company over the last several years, and we’re proud to make these investments in our current and future Health & Wellness associates. They’re on the frontline of health care in the communities they serve, helping people live better – and healthier.”
