Whole Foods Sets Sept. 28 Pay Increase for Denver Store Workers

Hourly workers at Whole Foods Market’s Colorado Boulevard store in Denver are covered by a nationwide pay change scheduled for September 28, 2026. In its September 10 announcement, Whole Foods said every U.S. hourly store team member would receive more compensation beginning that date.

For frontline store workers, the company says predictable increases tied to time in their roles will replace performance-review-based raises. That changes how raises are determined, though the announcement does not give an individual increase or a Colorado wage rate.

What the wage figures mean

Whole Foods projects an average store wage above $21 an hour following its investment. It puts average total compensation above $29 an hour when the value of elected benefits is included. The first figure is an average, not a starting wage; the second is not an hourly cash wage.

The company says it plans to invest more than $230 million over the year ahead in higher pay, benefits and programs for more than 100,000 U.S. team members. That is a national combined investment, not a stated Colorado allocation or a per-worker payment.

Benefits have a later start date

Beginning January 1, 2027, eligible full-time U.S. team members are set to have access to health-plan options starting at $5 a week, with $5 copays for specified primary and behavioral-health care. Whole Foods also says nearly 20,000 part-time U.S. workers scheduled for at least 20 hours a week will gain dental and vision coverage and free basic life insurance. Those benefits have separate eligibility rules from the September pay change.