For ambitious retail professionals, the Team Leader role at a major retailer like Target represents a significant step into management. It’s a position that blends on-the-floor leadership with operational strategy, offering a dynamic career path with rewarding potential. But what does that potential look like financially?
This guide breaks down the Target Team Leader salary, exploring the national averages and the key factors that can influence your earning potential. On average, a Target Team Leader can expect to earn an annual salary ranging from $48,000 to $65,000, with hourly wages typically falling between $23 and $31. Let's dive into the details.
What Does a Target Team Leader Do?
Before analyzing the numbers, it's important to understand the scope of the role. A Target Team Leader is a first-line supervisor responsible for a specific department or function within the store. This is not a passive role; it's an active leadership position that serves as the bridge between store leadership (Executive Team Leaders) and the hourly team members.
Key responsibilities include:
- Leading and Developing a Team: Training, coaching, and motivating team members to meet performance goals and deliver excellent guest service.
- Driving Sales and Operations: Ensuring your department is well-stocked, visually appealing, and running efficiently to maximize sales and profitability.
- Problem-Solving: Addressing guest issues, resolving operational challenges, and making real-time decisions to keep the business running smoothly.
- Executing Company Strategy: Implementing new corporate initiatives, promotions, and standards within your area of responsibility.
Essentially, you are the owner of your department's success, making it a critical training ground for future retail executives.
Average Target Team Leader Salary
Salary data for this specific role comes primarily from salary aggregators, which collect self-reported data from current and former employees. This data aligns closely with the broader federal statistics for similar roles.
- Average Base Salary: Most sources place the national average salary for a Target Team Leader between $50,000 and $55,000 per year. This typically translates to an hourly wage of $24 to $26 per hour.
- Typical Salary Range: The full salary range is quite broad. Entry-level Team Leaders or those in lower cost-of-living areas might start closer to $48,000/year (~$23/hour). In contrast, experienced Team Leaders in high-demand markets or specialized roles can earn upwards of $65,000/year (~$31/hour).
Data from Authoritative Sources:
- Glassdoor reports an estimated total pay for a Target Team Leader to be around $59,800 per year, with a likely range between $52,000 and $69,000. This figure includes base pay and potential additional compensation like bonuses.
- Payscale notes an average base hourly rate of approximately $22.75, with a range from $18.50 to $28.00 per hour, highlighting the significant impact of experience and location.
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides data for the broader category of "First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers." The median pay for this group was $47,430 per year or $22.80 per hour as of May 2023. This federal data provides a solid baseline and validates the figures reported specifically for Target, which, as a leading retailer, often pays at or slightly above this median.
Key Factors That Influence Salary
Your exact salary as a Target Team Leader isn't set in stone. Several factors play a crucial role in determining your specific compensation package.
### Level of Education
While a four-year college degree is not a strict requirement for the Team Leader role, it can be a significant advantage. A bachelor's degree in Business, Management, Marketing, or a related field can make you a more competitive candidate, potentially leading to a higher starting offer. For those looking to advance quickly to Executive Team Leader or Store Director roles, a degree becomes increasingly valuable. However, for most Team Leader positions, demonstrated experience and leadership skills are the primary considerations.
### Years of Experience
Experience is one of the most powerful drivers of salary in retail management.
- Internal Candidates: A Target team member with 1-3 years of experience who has demonstrated leadership potential may be promoted to Team Leader and start within the standard salary range.
- External Candidates: An applicant with 3-5 years of direct supervisory experience from another retailer (e.g., Walmart, Costco, or a specialty store) may be able to negotiate a salary at the higher end of the scale. Proven success in managing teams, controlling inventory, and driving sales is a highly valuable asset.
### Geographic Location
Where you work matters—a lot. Target, like most national retailers, adjusts its pay scales based on the local cost of living and market wage rates. A Team Leader in a major metropolitan area will earn significantly more than one in a rural community.
- High-Cost Areas: Expect salaries to be at the top of the range in cities like San Francisco, CA; New York, NY; Boston, MA; and San Diego, CA.
- Average-Cost Areas: Major cities in the Midwest and Southeast will likely fall closer to the national average.
- Lower-Cost Areas: Rural parts of the country and states with a lower cost of living will typically see salaries at the lower end of the spectrum.
### Company Type
While this article focuses on Target, it's helpful to understand how its pay structure compares to the broader retail industry.
- Big-Box Retailers (e.g., Target, Walmart): Offer competitive, market-rate salaries with structured paths for advancement.
- Warehouse Clubs (e.g., Costco, Sam's Club): Often known for paying a premium and may offer higher starting wages for similar supervisory roles.
- Specialty Retail (e.g., Apple, Lululemon): Can offer very competitive or even higher salaries, often tied to selling high-margin products.
- Grocery Chains: Pay is generally comparable to big-box retail, though specialized department leaders (e.g., Head Butcher) may earn more.
Target's compensation is generally considered strong and competitive within the big-box sector.
### Area of Specialization
Not all Team Leader roles are the same. Some require specialized skills and carry more responsibility, which can command higher pay.
- General Merchandise or Style: These are the most common Team Leader roles and typically align with the standard pay scale.
- Food & Beverage: This role often requires knowledge of food safety standards and managing perishable inventory, which can sometimes result in slightly higher pay.
- Fulfillment & Supply Chain: With the explosion of e-commerce, leaders who manage order pickup and ship-from-store operations are in high demand and may command a wage premium.
- Assets Protection (AP-TL): This is a highly specialized role focused on security, theft prevention, and safety. Due to the specific skillset and training required, AP-TLs often have a higher pay band than other Team Leaders.
Job Outlook
The career outlook for retail supervisors is stable and reflects the overall health of the retail industry. According to the BLS, employment for First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers is projected to show little or no change from 2022 to 2032.
However, "little change" does not mean no opportunity. The BLS projects about 138,500 openings for these supervisors each year, on average, over the decade. Most of these openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force. For a major, growing retailer like Target, opportunities will remain consistent for talented individuals who can adapt to the evolving retail landscape, which increasingly blends in-store experience with digital fulfillment.
Conclusion
The Target Team Leader position is more than just a job—it's a launchpad for a career in retail management. With a typical salary ranging from $48,000 to $65,000 a year, it offers competitive compensation that can be maximized through experience, specialized skills, and strategic location choices.
For those looking to build leadership skills and grow with an industry-leading company, this role provides a structured environment for professional development. The skills you gain—in team management, operational logistics, and financial accountability—are highly transferable and set a strong foundation for future advancement to roles like Executive Team Leader and beyond. If you are driven, people-oriented, and ready to lead, the Target Team Leader path is a career worth pursuing.