Wal-Mart managers serve as the leaders of the company’s 11,000 stores in 27 countries. These professionals oversee the management team, providing direction to help stores meet sales goals, ensure compliance with company policies and procedures, and deliver outstanding customer service. Managers are responsible for supervising employees and fostering their career development within the organization. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics cites the average salary of all store managers at $41,450 a year, but Wal-Mart managers average significantly higher earnings.

Salary and Qualifications

A study conducted by the National Bureau of Economics Research revealed that Wal-Mart store managers earn an average annual salary of $92,462. These professionals must have extensive experience supervising 50 or more employees and a track record of general management experience. They may also have to satisfy other state requirements. Managers must be excellent communicators, have strong leadership skills and be committed to helping the store become an active part of the community. Many employees work their way up into management positions, as a total of 170,000 employees were promoted into higher-level positions in 2013.

Salaries by Region

The average salaries of Wal-Mart managers vary by region of the country. In 2014, the job site Indeed reported that Wal-Mart managers earned an average annual salary of $115,000 in California, $102,000 in West Virginia, $100,000 in Florida and $95,000 in Maine.

Contributing Factors

A number of factors contribute to the salary of a Wal-Mart manager, including years of management experience, tenure with the company, size of the store, geographic location and education level. For example, Wal-Mart Supercenters sell groceries, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that grocery store managers earn higher average salaries than managers of general merchandise stores.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for Wal-Mart managers looks promising, as the company announced a net sales increase of $473 billion during the 2014 fiscal year. Wal-Mart plans for rapid expansion through 2019, creating more opportunities for managers to grow their careers.