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Kitchen Worker at Wegmans Food Markets

Wegmans Food Markets Sterling, VA $17/hour

Job Description

Schedule: Part time
Availability: Morning, Afternoon, Evening (Includes Weekends). Shifts end as late as 9:30pm
Age Requirement: Must be 18 years or older
Location: Sterling, VA
Address: 45131 Columbia Place
Pay: $16.50 - $17 / hour
Job Posting: 02/20/2026
Job Posting End: 03/20/2026
Job ID:R

EARN A BONUS UP TO $500! Hiring immediately!

how you'll make the difference

Our customers choose Wegmans for the helpful people in our stores, help with delicious meals, and the freshest ingredients. As a member of our Restaurant Foods team, you are at the heart of helping people make great meals easy. In this role, you'll help educate our customers about the exceptional ingredients and products we offer and work as part of a team to create high quality products. If you have a passion for food and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, then this could be the role for you!

what will you do?

  • Build relationships with customers and provide incredible service by addressing their needs in a timely and effective manner
  • Cut, prepare, and serve a variety of hot and cold foods to customers
  • Prepare, package and assemble meals
  • Help to maximize sales potential by using effective and proper procedures for food preparation, storing, rotating, stocking, and merchandising prepared items

At Wegmans, we've always believed we can achieve our goals only if we first fulfill the needs of our people. Putting our people first and offering competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits and a wide range of meaningful perks is just the beginning of what defines a rewarding career at Wegmans.

Comprehensive benefits

  1. Paid time off (PTO) to help you balance your personal and work life
  2. Higher premium pay rates for working overtime, on Sundays, or on a recognized holiday
  3. Health care benefits that provide a high level of coverage at a low cost to you
  4. Retirement plan with a 401(k) match
  5. A generous scholarship program to help employees meet their educational goals
  6. LiveWell Employee & Family program to support your emotional, work-life and financial wellness

Our employees have put us high on Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list every year since it was first produced in 1998. Discover what it means to work for a mission-driven, values-based company where YOU make the difference.

Certain eligibility requirements must be satisfied, and offerings may differ based upon area or the company and/or position.

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At Wegmans, we've always believed we can achieve our goals only if we first fulfill the needs of our people. Putting our people first and offering competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits and a wide range of meaningful perks is just the beginning of what defines a rewarding career at Wegmans.

Comprehensive benefits
  1. Paid time off (PTO) to help you balance your personal and work life
  2. Higher premium pay rates for working overtime, on Sundays, or on a recognized holiday
  3. Health care benefits that provide a high level of coverage at a low cost to you
  4. Retirement plan with a 401(k) match
  5. A generous scholarship program to help employees meet their educational goals
  6. LiveWell Employee & Family program to support your emotional, work-life and financial wellness

Our employees have put us high on Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list every year since it was first produced in 1998. Discover what it means to work for a mission-driven, values-based company where YOU make the difference.

Certain eligibility requirements must be satisfied, and offerings may differ based upon area or the company and/or position.

$35k is right at market for Food Preparation Workers nationally

National salary averages
$35k
Entry
Mid
Senior
This job
$23k Market range (10th-90th percentile) $44k

Hot hiring, constrained wages

Employers are hiring actively, but pay hasn't caught up with demand. Focus on competing offers and non-salary benefits.

Hiring leverage
Candidate-favored
Wage leverage âš  Disconnect
Constrained
Mobility
High mobility
Durability
High fragility

Why this market feels harder than it looks

This market is hiring aggressively, but compensation hasn't caught up and most openings are backfilling churn, not expansion. Employers are filling roles, but not bidding wages up.

Who this leverage applies to

Stronger for: Senior candidates with options
Weaker for: Entry-level candidates, Career switchers

Where to negotiate

Base salary
Sign-on bonus
Title / level
Remote flexibility
Scope & responsibility
Start date / PTO

Likely Possible Unlikely

Watch out for

Wage disconnect: Hiring is active but pay hasn't responded—negotiate on other terms.

Don't let hiring headlines mislead you—focus on concrete offers. Your leverage may be less durable than it appears—move decisively.

Does this path compound?

Job Growth →
High churn
Growth, flat pay
🚀 Compound
Growth + pay upside
⚠️ Plateau
Limited growth
Specialize
Experts earn more
Pay Upside →
Stable but flat

Steady work, but limited growth in both jobs and pay.

-3%
10yr growth
Most openings come from retirements and turnover, not new positions.
148,000 openings projected annually—mostly replacing retirees and turnover.
Typical: No formal educational credential

Consider building adjacent skills to stay marketable.

Labor data: BLS 2024