In-N-Out Burger boasts about being one of the highest-paying fast-food chains in the United States. So, how much does In-N-Out pay an hour to its employees, and is it true that you can make a decent living while working your way up to management?
In-N-Out Starting Pay
The In-N-Out Burger starting pay for entry-level workers is $14 to $15 an hour, depending on the location. This gives people a fighting chance to be able to pay their bills and cover the necessities.
In-N-Out jobs pay very well compared to other fast-food restaurants. As an example, if you are single and making $15 an hour with no responsibility other than taking care of yourself, you would potentially make over $31,000 a year. If you have a significant other making the same amount of money, you would both be able to have close to what is considered a median household income in many states of over $62,000 a year.
How much does In-N-out pay an hour for part-time employees? Part-timers get the same starting pay of $14 to $15 an hour as full-timers, but they don’t qualify for the same benefits.
In-N-Out Associate Pay
The In-N-Out store associate pay averages $18.05 an hour after a few years of experience, due to the company’s levels of development. There are 8 levels that associates can progress to, with level 8 being an introduction to management responsibilities.
If you’re making, let’s say, $17.75 an hour, which is slightly below the average pay for this position, it would mean $710 a week and a yearly salary of $36,920.
In-N-Out Cleanup Associate Pay
The In-N-Out custodial associate pay averages around $16.60 an hour. This amounts to an average of $664 a week and a salary of $34,528 a year.
This position comes with plenty of responsibility because you will not only be in charge of maintaining the cleanliness of your store. You’ll also have to be ready to clean the grills, slicers, and other equipment in the kitchen area.
In-N-Out Cookout Department Associate Pay
This is a job where you’ll be serving customers at their weddings, picnics, private parties, and other events. The In-N-Out hourly pay for this job is an average of about $15.65 an hour, and this amounts to approximately $626 a week if you’re working full-time.
The yearly salary would be in the neighborhood of $32,552. This is a fast-paced, fun-filled job that many people become interested in while applying.
How much do In-N-Out managers make?
In-N-Out likes to exclusively hire their store managers from within because it is their belief that gaining experience on the ground level and working your way up provides the most complete training possible.
There are 3rd and 4th manager positions, as well as assistant managers and general managers. As you’ll see below, In-N-Out managers are compensated at a much higher than average salary compared to other fast-food restaurants.
In-N-Out 4th Manager Salary
This is an entry-level management position, and it pays about $38,900 a year. In this job, you’ll be leading your shift and performing many of the duties expected from a higher management position.
You’ll get a chance to prove yourself to management, so you can set yourself up for a higher position in the future.
In-N-Out 3rd Manager Salary
This is the next step after being a 4th manager, and with this position, your salary will improve and land in the $46,000 to $51,000 a year range.
You’ll have to continue proving yourself worthy to your management team so that you can get a chance to continue moving up the ladder and eventually into a store manager position.
In-N-Out Assistant Manager Salary
This position pays very well at approximately $79,450 a year. It’ll pay you about $1,527 a week, which is much more than the minimum expected in order to have a living wage.
Your responsibilities continue to increase with this position as you are very close to being able to manage your own location.
In-N-Out Manager Salary
While there have been reports of managers making over $160,000 a year, the average salary for this position is more like $107,540 a year.
That’s not to say that you can’t work your way up to that higher salary. The pay can range from $62,500 to $202,000 a year!
The best way to make it to a manager position is to start out at the entry-level and work your way up the 8 development levels as quickly as possible. You can accomplish this by being extremely dedicated to your job.
Does In-N-Out pay weekly?
In-N-Out Burger pays its employees on a biweekly basis. Usually, the pay period starts on a Saturday and ends two Sundays later, for a total of a 14-day period.
Then, you get paid on the following Friday after that last Sunday of the pay period, for the number of hours you worked.
How often does In-N-Out give pay raises?
Employees get pay raises when they move up to each of the 8 levels of associate development. For example, if you move up from level 1 to 2, 3, or 4, you’ll get a $.25 cents an hour raise for each level.
When you go from level 4 to 5, 6, 7, and 8, you can expect higher raises over $.50 cents an hour.
What are the In-N-Out full-time hours?
Full-time employees at In-N-Out are usually assigned 32 to 40 hours a week. Some workers have said that in some locations, you will initially be assigned far fewer hours every week until you prove you are an exceptional worker.
What are the In-N-Out part-time hours?
Part-time employees are often assigned 16 to 31 hours a week. But the average is approximately 21 hours.
If you are hired on a part-time basis and want to get promoted to full-time, make sure you plan on making the best possible impression with your work habits and reliability.
The easiest way to impress management is to always show up on time and be ready to work on your scheduled days. Additionally, make yourself available to substitute for someone else who calls out sick or takes any type of leave.
Examples of In-N-Out Shift Hours
Part-time workers usually get scheduled for 4 to 6-hour shifts. Full-timers will oftentimes get scheduled for 8 1/2 hours, so they can get 40 hours a week and take a 1/2 hour unpaid meal break during every shift.
Here are some examples of shifts you may be called upon to work at In-N-Out:
- 5 AM to 10 AM
- 5 AM to 1:30 PM
- 8 AM to 1 PM
- 8 AM to 4:30 PM
- 9 AM to 5:30 PM
- 10 AM to 3 PM
- 10 AM to 6:30 PM
- 2 PM to 8 PM
- 2 PM to 10:30 PM
- 5 PM to 11 PM
- 9 PM to 2 AM
In-N-Out Sick Leave Policy
Full-time workers can accrue 6 paid sick days a year. Part-time workers don’t get any sick days, but they do become eligible for dental and vision benefits for themselves and family members, as well as other perks.
If you are going to call out sick, make sure you give your management team plenty of notice, so they can call someone to replace your shift. Keep in mind, if you call out sick regularly, you will probably hurt your chances of moving up to a management position.
In-N-Out Break Policy
Employees say they only get two paid 10-minute breaks during a full 8-hour shift. This is fairly standard for these types of jobs, and it’s important to bear in mind some franchisee-owned fast-food restaurants find it hard to give their employees even one break during an 8-hour shift!
Finally, it’s important to know that all In-N-Out fast-food restaurants are privately owned by Lynsi Snyder. There are no franchisee-owned restaurants and this gives employees a distinct advantage when it comes to salaries, benefits, and working conditions.
Featured image courtesy of Caroline Culler (User:Wgreaves), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
