How do you become a Walgreens assistant manager and store manager?

Question

I heard that you need at least a 4 year degree for either one. Could that degree be in anything? I'm thinking of getting my degree in Psychology, would this help? What else would be required and about how much can a person make doing each position?

Answer 1

My dad is able to be an assistant manager with WalMart, but he doesn't have a 4 year degree in college. It's surprising that it's required for Walgreens

Answer 2

There is no company policy which states you must have a college degree.  However, the reality is that the District Managers (DM), who do the hiring, generally require one.  So it might as well be a policy.   If you have retail management experience with a competitor you can get hired in as an asst. mgr., but once again, it is at the DM's discretion.  You can also be promoted from within as a department head, without a college degree.  It is generally required that you spend at least 6 months in that dept. head position first.

Walgreens doesn't care where the degree is from, as long as it is an accredited college and not one of those 'fly by night' operations.

All store managers are promoted from within.  To the best of my knowledge, the highest position you can be hired in as, from outside the company, is as an Executive Asst. Mgr. (one level below store mgr. ) and even that is very rare.  More realistically, the highest you can start as, from outside the company, is a regular asst. mgr.

Also, store mgr. is the highest you can be promoted to without a college degree.  If you want anything higher, you must have a degree- period.

Pay varies by state but a general rule of thumb is:

Regular asst. mgr. - about $35k

Exec. asst. mgr. - about $45k (some of that in the form of a bonus)

Store mgr. without a pharmacist degree - anywhere from about $60k-$120k depending on your length of time with the company and the size of your bonus  

(The avg. mgr.'s salary + bonus is perhaps $75-$80k.  Just a guess.)

Store mgr. with a pharmacist degree- ($110k-$150k)  once again with the bonus and time with company affecting it

Good luck

Edit- That link you give is about the BMI- Business Mgmnt Intern program specifically designed for college students.  That is not related to their hiring policy.  Here is what the website says about college degrees:

Do you have to have a college degree to work as an Assistant Manager?

No, a college degree is preferred but not required. Walgreens believes in hiring and promoting based on merit and performance. Very often individuals with a college degree or prior retail experience will move more quickly through our training program but there is no requirement for a degree.