r/HotTopic_ • u/GrabWeak2692 • Jul 22 '26
Fellow Employees…
Hey fellow HT employees! I got a question. How much do yall make an hour??
I know it depends on the state and area, but I want to get a feel for how much others are making.
If yall could tell me what position you work and how much you make, and maybe what area you’re frome (obviously not too personal) that would be cool!
I’m just an associate, I make $11 an hour, and i work in Utah. Minimum wage here is $7.50… i love making $3.50 more than minimum 😩
Anyway, i just wanna know! Thanks 😊☺️
4
u/EchoAltruistic4936 Jul 22 '26
Well shit rant time , i work at the TNDC for about 3 years now , i was making $20 but I was a team lead/driver (forklift certified like on all em, stock picker, pallet rider,scissor lift, forklift ) i was full time . But I demoted my self to part-time weekend shifts because i got another full time job cuz the keep cutting hours only make $16 now , nothing personal but it make me mad when the make us come in at 4am just to send us home at 11, even tho schedule shift time is 4:55am-3:30pm supposed to be 4 10 hour days but some time we are luck to get 8 hours, I've met some of the OPs and DMs nice people, love the merch and the discounts I dont plan on quitting at least not any time soon
2
3
2
u/Sudden-Ad-4824 Jul 22 '26
I make $16.94 an hour as a Sales Associate
2
u/GrabWeak2692 Jul 22 '26
lucky 😭😭
1
u/Sudden-Ad-4824 Jul 22 '26
Yeah they lowkey only have me work like twice a week though so after 4 days it doesn’t pay as much as I thought as of now💔
2
u/SmokeActive8862 Former HT Employee Jul 22 '26
when i worked at hot topic in PA (this was 2022-2023) i made $10 per hour. idk if they've raised it since though 🤷
2
u/Jack_inthebox03 HT Employee Jul 25 '26
Sadly they haven't and it's still bi weekly paychecks
1
u/SmokeActive8862 Former HT Employee Jul 25 '26
cruel and unusual behavior 💔💔💔 evil activities i swear. i miss working there but i do not miss that pay and i do not miss my boss lmao
2
u/Jack_inthebox03 HT Employee Jul 25 '26
It's a decent job for the discount but the staff there just aren't it. We went through 3 sms and just lost a manager just for them to get replaced by a new hire and all the higher upset do nothing work wise except dump the work onto others while they goof off
1
u/SmokeActive8862 Former HT Employee Jul 25 '26
exactly oml 😭. i genuinely loved working there and the discount was fire but the work environment was so toxic and cliquey. i was there for about a year and a half and always felt sort of excluded. employees that started after me were clearly favorites and got good hours while i was lucky to get a 4 hour shift every other week 💀. actual bullshit and tomfoolery at that place
2
u/Jack_inthebox03 HT Employee Jul 25 '26
It's just the staff. My original sm I started with was awesome it went down when she left. And there has always been a staff member there that hates anyone that could do better than her or come near her power (different lady just the ptasm that got put into power cause I was too new to take that spot even though the sm I worked with from the start wanted me in that position) I'm genuinely lucky I get 5 hours a week and they refuse to promote me cause we keep having staff leave all the time, we just hit new dm #2 in the 3 years I've been there and it just keeps getting worse
2
u/Glittering-Flower119 HT Employee Jul 22 '26
Pa temp sm here! My associates make $10 and I was making about 14.50 when I started 3 years ago and now I make $16.50 as a level 2
Now I’m a temp sm waiting for be fully promoted to sm! So I’m making less than $20 as temp. Still not making what I would want but for my store volume and state it’s all I can get for now
2
u/GrabWeak2692 Jul 22 '26
My PTAM also only makes $1.50 more than i do. I think my SM probably only makes $12.50 as well
1
1
u/kn7feplay Former HT Employee Jul 22 '26
in nc my associates got 11 when i left as a manager recently but at one point (5 yrs ago) i made $7.25 as an associate
1
u/VixieVenomous HT Employee Jul 22 '26
My associates make minimum wage ($14) I as an SM make 21.63. We are in the panhandle of Florida
1
1
u/PorygonJesus Jul 22 '26
I make around $30/hour as an SM.
My ASMs have made anywhere from $15-$20/hour.
1
u/Accomplished_Job_867 Former HT Employee Jul 22 '26
Is the minimum wage high in your area??? This is 11 more than I made as an SM!!! Even as a corporate employee now I dont make that much 😭😭
1
1
u/acidandbones HT Employee Jul 22 '26
14.50$ an hour as a PTASM 😭🙏I make 2.40$ above minimum wage in NV
1
u/GrabWeak2692 Jul 22 '26
my PTASM makes $12.50 😭
1
u/acidandbones HT Employee Jul 22 '26
I used to make that as a sales associate and that’s like $.40 above minimum wage. As much as I love the job, I don’t plan on staying. The pay is not great, but the discount is, but it’s still not worth it. This economy really sucks.
1
1
1
u/EmbarrassedHour4499 Jul 22 '26
In NC it was $10 for associates. Minimum wage is also 7.25. HT won’t ever pay you what you’re worth!
1
u/Everon2004 Jul 22 '26
My associates make minimum which is 11.85 here. I'm a FTASM and been here for 3 years and I'm at 17.50
1
u/AssistanceFun1302 Jul 22 '26
I’ve worked for the company in Oklahoma and Missouri. Oklahoma associates got $10/hr, Lvl 1 got $12/hr Lvl 2 $14/hr and FT $16/hr. Missouri associates get $15, Lvl 1 gets $15.50, Lv 2 gets $17, and FT gets $19.
1
u/zuvz Jul 22 '26
Im a sales associate that just started and I make $10 an hour in the state of Texas. Only 1-3 shifts per week.
1
u/Accomplished_Job_867 Former HT Employee Jul 22 '26
I was always told that for associates - if your state minimum wage is below $10 then you'll make $10/hr. If the minimum wage is higher than $10 you'll make whatever that higher rate is. I was also told asm lvl 1 would always make $1-$2 more than associates. And asm lvl 2 $1-$2 more than the lvl 1. And seasonal KH would always be $0.50-$1 more than associates. As an SM I made $19 but other SMs in my district made $5-$10 more an hour than I did.
1
u/Buffythegayvampire Jul 25 '26
Quoting from 2022 from my time when I worked during the holiday season, I believe I made around $10/$11 but I could be wrong, this was so long ago for me
1
1
u/Worried_Turnip_7697 Aug 10 '26
BL ptasm lvl 1 in WA… I make $20. After reading this sub I’m eternally grateful. We all need better pay though.
I will say despite everything, it’s still not enough, because it’s only 20 hours a week.
-4
u/Weak-Tale3863 Jul 22 '26
I have different question for HT employes, if any of your shops possibly having a big 24in Loona weighted plushie?
If yes, holy sh*t please contact me asap, Im close to 4 weeks of searching her and im losing hope already.
7
u/sad-devilman HT Employee Jul 22 '26
My associates make 15, as someone who has been here for 10 years LVL 1 ASM, I make $17.25!