NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. — Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) is increasing its restaurant wages, resulting in an $15 average hourly wage by the end of June, according to the Newport Beach-based company. Additionally, the Chipotle employees can advance to a “restaurateur” status, the highest general manager position, in approximately three-and-a-half years, with average compensation of $100,000.
Wage increases for new and existing hourly and salaried restaurant employees will be rolled out over the next few weeks and will result in hourly crew member starting wages ranging from $11 to $18 per hour. The company has also launched a $200 employee referral bonus for crew members and a $750 referral bonus for apprentices and general managers.
With approximately 200 restaurants slated to open this year coupled with continued growth and demand, Chipotle plans to hire 20,000 new team members across the United States. The company will host a virtual career fair on Discord on May 13.