Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi, Waitrose, Iceland, Co-op, Lidl rates compares and contrasted
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi, Waitrose, Iceland, Co-op, Lidl rates compares and contrasted
Hundreds of thousands of Tesco employees are set to receive a pay increase at the end of this month, following an announcement this week of a £200 million investment by the UK’s largest supermarket. From 29 March, wages for shop workers and staff at online fulfilment centres will rise by 5.1% to £13.28 per hour.
London-based employees will see their hourly allowance boosted by £1.27, resulting in an hourly rate of £14.55 for those within the M25. These adjustments align with the introduction of new national minimum wage and living wage rates from April.
Tesco’s wage hike ensures its pay rates exceed the £12.71 minimum wage for individuals over 21 years old. Other major supermarket chains have also recently declared pay rises for their workforce.
Sainsbury’s employees will benefit from a 5% pay increase this month, bringing the national hourly rate to £13.23 and London’s to £14.54, whilst Lidl has raised entry-level rates to £13.45 nationally and £14.80 in London.
Aldi is poised to become the top-paying supermarket amongst its competitors when it boosts store assistants’ pay to £13.50 per hour nationally and £14.88 in London from April.
Ashwin Prasad, Chief Executive of Tesco UK, stated: “Our colleagues play a vital role in delivering for our customers every single day.
“I’m pleased we’re able to announce this pay deal which reflects our deep appreciation for everything they do and represents another meaningful investment in colleague pay.”
Meanwhile, Tesco has announced plans to introduce a new domestic abuse policy later this year, which will include up to three days’ paid leave for employees who are victims of abuse.
Daniel Adams, national officer for the trade union Usdaw, commented that the pay rise “extends the gap between the Tesco rates of pay and the national living wage”.
He further stated: “The union is also particularly pleased that the business has agreed to be the first retailer to commit to providing paid leave to help support staff who experience domestic abuse – something that could make a huge difference for those affected.”
UK Supermarket Pay Comparison (2026)
Supermarket // National Pay (£/hr) // Inside M25 Pay (£/hr) // Effective From
Aldi // £13.50 // £14.88 // April 2026
Lidl // £13.45 // £14.80 // March 2026
M&S // £13.41 // £14.74 // April 2026
Tesco // £13.28// £14.55 // March 2026
Waitrose // £13.25 // £14.80 // April 2026
Sainsbury’s // £13.23 // £14.54 // March 2026
Co-op // £12.60 // £13.85 // Aug 2025
Asda // £12.60 // £13.82 // Oct 2025
Morrisons // £12.21 // £13.06 // 9April 2025
Iceland // £12.37 // £13.50 (both over 21s) –