Business1 min read

Walmart's youngest manager earns 6-figure salary

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Pulley originally began her tenure at the company as a 16-year-old part-time cashier seeking extra spending money while attending high school. Over the next few years, she earned promotions to Academy Trainer at 18, Team Lead six months later, and operations manager at 19. Although she left Grand Canyon University to pursue management, she is currently completing foundational courses through Walmart's Live Better U program to earn an employer-funded bachelor's degree.

Key points

  • Walmart's corporate ladder continues to allow entry-level hourly workers to rapidly advan…: Walmart's corporate ladder continues to allow entry-level hourly workers to rapidly advance into high-paying management positions.
  • Taking initiative on market-wide projects and covering for store managers helped accelera…: Taking initiative on market-wide projects and covering for store managers helped accelerate Pulley's transition into leadership.
  • The company's Live Better U educational initiative enables working managers to complete b…: The company's Live Better U educational initiative enables working managers to complete bachelor's degrees at no personal cost.

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Her story is strikingly similar to that of Walmart CEO John Furner. Furner started out as a part-time hourly associate in the company’s garden center in 1993. He eventually worked his way up to store manager before moving into merchandising roles across Walmart and Sam’s Club.

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“As long as I’ve been in retail—it’s officially 33 years—it’s always been changing,” Furner said in an interview with Fast Company earlier this year. “Getting comfortable with change in a world that continues to change, I think, is a really great trait for any leader.” Both Pulley and Furner began their Walmart journeys in entry-level positions, demonstrating how employees can progress through the company's ranks.

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Kiley Pulley Walmart career timeline

According to a report in Fortune, Pulley first joined Walmart at 16 as a part-time cashier, following the steps of her mother and sister. At that time, she was a high school student and was…

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