Aldi has boosted wages for 28,000 colleagues, offers market-leading hourly rates and a graduate area manager programme with six-figure potential
Aldi is raising hourly pay for around 28,000 UK store colleagues, with the new rates taking effect from 1 April. The headline pay will be £13.50 an hour nationwide and £14.88 for roles within the M25. Colleagues who have been with the company longer will see those rates climb to £14.47 nationally and £15.20 in London.
Alongside the pay rise, Aldi is emphasising non-salary benefits it says set it apart: paid breaks for all store staff, enhanced parental leave and other perks. The retailer estimates the newly guaranteed paid breaks are worth roughly £1,500 a year to a typical colleague, and it now offers 26 weeks of full-pay maternity leave as part of a wider benefits package.
For many shop-floor employees this restructure delivers an immediate and meaningful uplift, putting Aldi’s base hourly rates ahead of rivals such as Lidl, Tesco, M&S and Waitrose. The company says it has invested more than £42 million into colleague pay this year, framing the move as central to its recruitment and retention push.
Pay matters, but it’s not everything. Staff retention ultimately rests on the daily reality of work: supportive managers, clear training, realistic workloads and genuine opportunities to progress. Competitive wages sharpen the hiring edge, but keeping people depends on what life inside the store actually feels like.
Aldi currently employs more than 45,000 people in the UK and is planning expansion. The retailer intends to open 40 new stores in 2026, backed by a wider investment programme of £370 million for growth plus another £300 million earmarked for upgrades and extensions to existing sites. That money will go on new store builds, capital projects and site improvements.
Management presents these investments as a two-pronged strategy: grow market share while improving colleague conditions. Whether that works in practice will come down to execution—new stores must attract customers, support healthier store-level finances and help reduce staff churn. Store quality, local demand and team morale will determine if the openings boost profitability.
For graduates, Aldi’s Area Manager programme remains a standout option. Starting pay is reported at around £52,020, with a fully expensed company car from day one. The roughly 12-month programme fast-tracks participants into frontline management, giving hands-on responsibility for running stores, leading teams and hitting operational targets.
That rapid exposure can accelerate career progression: strong performers may see total compensation approach six figures within eight to ten years. Still, applicants should dig beneath headline salaries—ask for typical promotion timelines, average store budgets and the metrics used to judge success. Real development depends on transparent criteria and consistent on-the-job support.
In short: Aldi’s pay rise and improved benefits mark a significant step up for store colleagues, and its expansion and management programmes promise opportunity. How much those changes change day-to-day life for staff will depend on how well the company turns investment into better store experiences, training and leadership.
