Walmart
- Walmart is betting big on AI, but says people remain at the heart of its growth plan.
- People chief Donna Morris said large employers should demonstrate their optimism about their need for workers.
- The retailer also highlighted 10 high-demand, future-proof career pathways at Walmart.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping work, but Walmart says the tech isn't shaking its need for people to power its growing business.
With more than 2.1 million workers, Walmart is not only the largest private employer in the world — it's also one of the broadest.
Behind the cart-pushers, shelf-stockers, and order-pickers, there are teams of truck drivers, supply chain managers, and data engineers who keep the business moving. Many of them got their start in hourly roles, including CEO John Furner and former chief Doug McMillon.
"It's really all careers, and that's what makes it exciting for our associates," Walmart's chief people officer Donna Morris told Business Insider. "I might start as a frontline associate, but my pathway could lead me in so many different directions."
Like many large companies, Walmart is betting heavily on an AI-powered future, but Morris said people remain at the heart of the retailer's growth strategy. The company's jobs board lists nearly 41,000 active openings with another 273,000 future roles.
"The reality is we are a service-driven organization, which means we're going to have a lot of jobs always," she said.
"We also believe that technology absolutely should serve people," she said. "But it should be done in a manner that people actually end up having better jobs and better careers over time."
Walmart is sharing its first-ever jobs spotlight, highlighting 10 career pathways at the company that it said are (and will continue to be) in high demand, many of which lead to six-figure salaries.
Some, like store and club managers and team leads, are straightforward tracks at a company that operates more than 10,000 locations around the world.
Others, like data engineers and advertising sales associates, represent the white-collar opportunities at the retail giant. The tech division laid off about 1,000 workers in May, a move its leadership said was intended to address duplication within certain teams.
And then there are the higher-paying blue-collar jobs where Walmart is training store workers to become truck drivers and skilled trades technicians.
Earlier this year, the company said it graduated its 1,000th truck driver through the program and that more than 600 associates had completed training to become HVAC specialists, electricians, or maintenance techs.
Beyond these re-skilling programs, Walmart said more than 126,000 employees have completed training through its online education portal for everything from AI certificates to four-year degrees.
Morris said she was surprised by the total.
"I should know that because I lead the function, but when you see quarter after quarter, you don't necessarily see it cumulatively," she said.
At a time when companies continue to cite AI in their decisions to shed workers, Morris also said large employers like Walmart have a responsibility to demonstrate optimism about their need for people and the opportunities it presents.
"The economy needs people to be working," she said. "The more the narrative is about people not working, the more it's frankly disruptive to everyone, and counterproductive to people's well-being."
Here is Walmart's full list of its most in-demand careers:
Advertising Sales
- US base pay range: $90,000 to $234,000 a year
- Typical career path: Account Management > Sales Associate > Sales Loader > Senior Sales Leader
Store Manager
- US base pay range: $95,000 to $170,000 a year
- Typical career path: Team Associate > Team Lead > Coach > Store Manager
Data Engineer
- US base pay range: $90,000 to $234,000 a year
- Typical career path: Analyst > Data Engineer > Senior Engineer
Facility Services Technician
- US base pay range: $26 to $76 an hour
- Typical career path: Entry-Level Technician > Certified Technician > Senior Technician
Supply Chain General Manager
- US base pay range: $116,000 to $351,000 a year
- Typical career path: Area Manager > Operations Manager > General Manager
Private Fleet Driver
- US base pay: Walmart drivers averaged more than $109,000 over the past year
- Typical career path: Driver Trainee > Truck Driver > Senior Driver/Trainer
Pharmacist
- US base pay range: $98,000 to $172,000 a year
- Typical career path: Pharmacy Intern > Staff Pharmacist › Pharmacy Manager > Market Director
Store/Club Team Lead
- US base pay range: $19 to $40 an hour
- Typical career path: Associate > Team Lead > Coach/Manager
Club Manager
- US base pay range: $110,000 to $160,000 a year
- Typical career path: Assistant Manager > Co-Manager > Club Manager
Realty Project Coach
- Base pay range: $50,000 to $143,000 a year
- Typical career path: Field Role > Project Specialist > Realty Project Coach