(NEXSTAR) — McDonald’s announced Thursday that it is raising hourly wages by an average of 10% for more than 36,500 employees at its company-owned restaurants in the U.S.
The fast-food giant says the changes, which have already begun, will include raising the entry-level wage to a range of $11 to $17 an hour, as well as increasing the starting range for shift managers to between $15 and $20 an hour, based on restaurant location.
“Our first value is taking care of our people, and today we are rewarding our hardworking employees in McDonald-owned restaurants for serving our communities,” Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA, said in a press release. “These actions further our commitment to offering one of the leading pay and benefits packages in the industry.”
The company says it is seeking to hire 10,000 new employees over the next three months as the summer season approaches and dining rooms reopen amid the pandemic.
The wage increases will be rolled out over the next several months.
McDonald’s says it expects some of its restaurants have, or will, reach an average hourly wage of $15 an hour this year, while overall average hourly wages are expected to reach $15 an hour by 2024.