Tesco Careers UK 2026: Every Role, Every Salary, and How to Get Hired

Tesco careers cover a wide range of roles across stores, distribution centres, head office, and technology teams throughout the UK. Tesco has been designated a Top Employer in the United Kingdom for 2026 and offers flexible shifts, competitive pay, and clear progression pathways across retail, logistics, technology, and corporate functions. With over 300,000 employees in the UK, Tesco is one of the largest employers in the country and hires at every level from customer assistant to director.

Quick Takeaways

• As of 2026, the standard hourly rate for Tesco UK store colleagues is £12.64, with London colleagues receiving £14.36 per hour following a 7.1% increase to the London living allowance.
• Tesco’s graduate schemes start at £32,000 per year, with the September 2026 intake open for applications across commercial, technology, and online functions.
• Software Engineer roles at Tesco Technology in Welwyn Garden City range from £50,000 to £65,000 per year, plus performance bonuses and shares.
• Tesco has invested over £900 million in employee wages since April 2022, representing 32% salary growth for hourly-paid colleagues over that period.
• Tesco is expanding its convenience store estate, planning to open more than 70 new Tesco Express outlets by the end of the 2026/27 financial year – creating consistent demand for store-level hires nationally.
• Tesco recruits over 28,500 seasonal staff each Christmas across Superstores and Extra stores, making seasonal work one of the most accessible entry points for new starters.

Introduction

If you are looking for a job in the UK, there is a strong case for starting your search at Tesco. Not because it is the easiest employer to get into – it is not. Not because every role pays exceptionally well at entry level – it does not. But because Tesco is one of the few employers in the UK where a genuine career, rather than just a job, is available to people at every starting point.

Tesco is one of the most iconic brands in the United Kingdom, serving millions of customers each week across retail, financial services, and wholesale. It has been designated a Top Employer in the United Kingdom for 2026 and offers a comprehensive colleague benefits package, flexible shifts, and clear pathways to move up. Whether you are sixteen and looking for your first job, a graduate deciding where to begin your career, a technology professional wanting to work at scale, or an experienced manager looking for a stable employer with genuine development investment – Tesco has a route in for you.

This guide covers every area of Tesco careers in detail: what roles are available, what they pay, what the benefits look like, how to apply, and what actually happens during the hiring process.

How Big Is Tesco as an Employer in the UK?

Tesco is the UK’s largest supermarket chain and one of its largest employers by headcount. With stores across the UK and Ireland and a variety of roles across every function, Tesco offers some of the biggest job opportunities in the country – not just in food retail, but across everything from clothes and homeware to financial services and technology.

Glassdoor holds over 52,300 salary submissions from Tesco employees in the UK as of February 2026, with annual salaries ranging from £16,225 for entry-level stock roles to £141,010 for a Head of Product – illustrating the breadth of opportunity across a single employer. The scale of the business means that internal mobility, structured development, and long-term career building are genuinely possible in ways that many smaller employers simply cannot offer.

Types of Tesco Careers Available in the UK

Tesco’s workforce is split across four broad areas: stores, distribution and logistics, Tesco Technology, and head office and corporate functions. Each has its own entry requirements, pay structure, and career trajectory.

1. Store Roles

Store roles are the most visible and most numerous within Tesco. They cover a wide spectrum from customer-facing to operational, and they are available in Tesco Extra, Tesco Superstores, Tesco Metro, and Tesco Express formats across every region of the UK.

Customer Assistant is the foundational entry-level role. Responsibilities include serving customers, stocking shelves, managing the fresh food counters, processing click-and-collect orders, and maintaining store standards. Job responsibilities at store level vary from serving customers and stocking shelves to picking online orders for home delivery. These roles are available on full-time, part-time, and flexible contracts. Tesco’s colleague rate of pay starts at the nationally competitive hourly rates, with shift patterns designed to accommodate different availability windows across early mornings, days, and evenings.

Customer Delivery Driver roles combine driving and customer service, delivering online grocery orders to customers’ homes. Customer Delivery Driver roles in London typically pay £12.92 to £14.20 per hour, translating to around £24,000 to £28,000 per year on a full-time basis. A valid driving licence and a clean record are required.

Shift Leader roles sit above customer assistant level and involve supervising a section of the store, supporting the management team, and taking responsibility for team performance during a shift. Shift Leader roles in Manchester range between £28,000 and £33,000 per year, depending on store size and experience. These are the natural first step into store management.

Department Manager and Team Manager roles take on full accountability for a section of the store or a team of colleagues. These roles are typically filled through a combination of internal promotion and external recruitment and offer salaries broadly in the £30,000-£45,000 range depending on store size, location, and the specific department.

Store Manager roles carry full responsibility for the performance, people, and operations of an entire Tesco store. Store Manager roles at Tesco can pay up to £40,000 per year for standard-format stores, with larger format Extra and Superstore manager roles compensated higher. These are senior, demanding positions that most commonly come from long-term internal progression through the store management pathway.

2. Distribution and Logistics Roles

Tesco’s supply chain is one of the largest in the UK, with multiple distribution centres across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland serving stores from regional hubs.

Warehouse Operative roles involve receiving, sorting, picking, and dispatching stock across Tesco’s distribution network. Warehouse Operative positions in distribution centres offer £12.15 to £13.80 per hour, with overtime premiums available. Shift variations include standard days at £15.74 per hour, evenings at the same rate, weekend shifts at £20.94 per hour, bank holidays at £23.66 per hour, and night shifts at £19.68 per hour at some locations. The shift premium structure means that warehouse roles working unsociable hours can earn significantly above the base rate.

HGV Class 1 and Class 2 Driver roles are among the most consistently available and well-compensated logistics positions. HGV Class 1 driver roles at Tesco via agency partners offer between £19.08 and £34.92 per hour depending on shift, with start times available between 12:00 and midnight. These roles require a valid HGV licence and CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence), but the premium pay rates make them among the most lucrative no-degree positions in the Tesco network.

Logistics and Distribution Team Leader and Manager roles progress from operative level and involve leading teams within the distribution centre environment, managing shift performance, and contributing to operational efficiency.

3. Tesco Technology Roles

This is the area of Tesco careers that surprises most people – and arguably the most exciting for professionals with digital and technical backgrounds.

Tesco Technology operates globally, with its principal UK hub at 85 Clerkenwell Road in London and its corporate technology campus in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. Tesco Technology’s tech stack includes tools like Kotlin, Java, Hadoop, and Google Analytics across a team of approximately 1,000 employees in the UK alone.

The scale and complexity of Tesco’s digital operations – spanning one of the UK’s largest e-commerce platforms, mobile apps, supply chain systems, payments infrastructure, and data science capabilities – means Tesco Technology roles sit comfortably alongside those at dedicated technology companies.

Software Engineer roles at Tesco Technology in Welwyn Garden City range from £50,000 to £65,000 per year, plus performance bonuses and shares. Data scientists, product managers, UX designers, cyber security specialists, platform engineers, and machine learning engineers are all employed within Tesco Technology, typically at salaries that reflect the competitive technology market rather than the retail sector baseline.

Tesco Technology’s online and e-commerce teams work within agile squads covering areas including Whoosh (Tesco’s rapid delivery service), Marketplace, F&F clothing online, and availability management – using tools like Kantar, Circana, and Tableau to gather and interpret data.

For technology professionals specifically, Tesco represents a genuinely interesting career destination – the opportunity to work on systems that serve millions of customers daily at a scale that few employers in the UK can match.

4. Head Office and Corporate Functions

Tesco’s head office is based in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. Corporate function roles span commercial buying, marketing, finance, HR, legal, strategy, sustainability, and communications.

Head of Product roles at Tesco head office can reach £141,010 per year according to Glassdoor salary data from over 52,300 submissions as of February 2026. Senior commercial roles, finance leadership, and corporate strategy positions all offer competitive salaries commensurate with Tesco’s position as a FTSE 100 company.

It is worth being aware that Tesco has undergone some head office restructuring in recent years. In early 2025, Tesco removed 400 roles across bakeries, mobile phone operations, and head office, and the company subsequently announced plans to cut a further 180 head office roles as it adapts to evolving shopping patterns and looks to operate more efficiently. This context does not diminish the breadth of head office opportunity – Tesco remains a major recruiter at this level – but it is useful to be aware of as you research specific corporate function vacancies.

Browse Retail and Sales jobs on UKJobsAlert and Transport and Logistics vacancies to find Tesco and other major employer opportunities near you.

Tesco Salaries: What You Can Realistically Expect in 2026

Pay at Tesco spans a very wide range depending on role, level, and location. Here is a comprehensive overview based on current data.

Current Hourly Rates for Store Colleagues

As of the end of August 2025, Tesco UK’s standard hourly rate for in-store colleagues is £12.64, following a two-stage 5.2% increase agreed with Usdaw in 2025. Colleagues working in London receive £14.36 per hour, following a 7.1% increase to the London living allowance.

These rates represent 32% salary growth for hourly-paid staff since April 2022, reflecting Tesco’s investment of over £900 million in colleague wages over that period. As of early 2026, no new national UK pay rise has been officially announced for 2026, with Tesco operating under the 2025 staged increases while colleagues and unions await updates around April 2026 ahead of the new financial year.

Salary Comparison by Role at Tesco UK

Sources: Glassdoor (52,300+ submissions, February 2026), Tesco careers listings, Staffline, ukcareerzhub.com

Tesco Employee Benefits: What You Get Beyond the Salary

Tesco’s employee benefits package is comprehensive and designed to support colleagues’ wellbeing and career development throughout their journey with the company. Here is what is currently available to Tesco colleagues in the UK.

Colleague Clubcard. This is one of the most widely valued perks. Tesco now offers unrestricted Colleague Clubcard discounts, superseding the former £2,000 limit. Colleagues receive a Clubcard with enhanced discounts on their Tesco shopping as well as access to Clubcard partner benefits.

Annual Bonus Scheme. Tesco’s annual bonus scheme offers up to 20% of base salary, linked to business and store performance. For a colleague on £28,000, that represents up to £5,600 of additional pay in a strong performance year.

Maternity, Paternity, and Adoption Leave. Tesco offers 26 weeks of maternity and adoption leave at full pay after one year’s service, followed by 13 weeks at Statutory Maternity Pay. Paternity leave is six weeks at full pay. These are significantly more generous than the statutory minimum.

Extended Company Sick Pay. Tesco has extended maximum company sick pay entitlement to 20 weeks for qualifying staff members – considerably more than most comparable retail employers offer.

Healthcare Support. A free 24/7 virtual GP service is available to all colleagues, alongside an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for colleagues and their families, and free access to a range of experts to support mental wellbeing.

Flexible Working. Tesco offers immediate access to flexible working arrangements for colleagues, which is particularly valuable for those managing childcare, study, or other commitments alongside work.

Pension Scheme. Tesco provides a workplace pension with employer contributions. The specific contribution structure varies by role and length of service, but all qualifying colleagues are auto-enrolled.

Premium Shift Pay. For operational roles in stores and distribution, many positions include premium pay for night shifts, bank holidays, and overtime, plus eligibility for annual bonuses tied to store or business performance.

Learning and Development. Tesco invests significantly in training and development by giving employees access to e-learning tools, structured learning programmes, and leadership pathways. Apprenticeships, management development programmes, and online learning are all available internally.

Tesco Graduate Schemes: Starting Your Career at the Top

Tesco’s graduate scheme for the September 2026 intake offers a starting salary of £32,000 per year. The schemes are structured two-year programmes covering different areas of the business.

The Online Graduate Scheme is one of the most sought-after. The programme involves working within agile squads across Tesco’s online division, covering Whoosh (rapid delivery), Marketplace, F&F clothing online, and availability management. Graduates use tools such as Kantar, Circana, and Tableau to gather and analyse data, monitor competitors, and develop innovations to grow the online business.

Other graduate pathways cover commercial buying, technology, supply chain, finance, and HR. Each programme provides structured rotations across relevant parts of the business, a dedicated graduate cohort, mentoring from senior leaders, and a clear progression framework.

The benefits package for graduate scheme entrants mirrors that of all Tesco colleagues and includes the full benefits suite: Colleague Clubcard, annual bonus, healthcare support, EAP, and maternity and paternity leave provisions.

Applications for graduate schemes typically open in autumn for September starts the following year. Candidates need a minimum 2:2 degree in any discipline for most schemes, with technology schemes favouring computer science, engineering, or numerate degree backgrounds.

Browse Graduate and Entry Level jobs on UKJobsAlert to explore other graduate opportunities alongside Tesco’s own schemes.

Seasonal and Temporary Work at Tesco

For those who want to try Tesco as an employer before committing to a permanent role, seasonal work is one of the most accessible entry points.

Each Christmas, Tesco recruits over 28,500 temporary staff across the UK to help make the Christmas shopping period run smoothly for customers. The seasonal roles are mainly based in Tesco Superstores and Extra stores, covering early morning, day, and evening shifts. Job responsibilities vary from serving customers and stocking shelves to picking online orders for home delivery.

These positions offer a chance for those looking to gain retail experience, earn extra income over the holidays, or even explore a future career with one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains. Seasonal roles are often the fastest route into Tesco for candidates with no prior retail experience, and a significant proportion of temporary Tesco workers are subsequently offered permanent positions.

Seasonal applications typically open in September and October for Christmas positions. Apply early – the most desirable shifts and locations fill quickly.

Career Progression at Tesco: Where Can It Take You?

One of Tesco’s genuine strengths as an employer is its internal career mobility. The company has a long track record of promoting from within, and colleagues who demonstrate the right attitude, performance, and ambition consistently find progression pathways available to them.

The most common store-level progression route runs from Customer Assistant through to Shift Leader, then Department Manager or Team Manager, and on to Store Manager. Many of Tesco’s most senior store leaders began their careers on the shop floor. The progression is not automatic or guaranteed, but it is available to those who commit to it, seek out development opportunities, and make their ambitions clear to their line managers.

Tesco provides access to e-learning tools, structured learning programmes, and leadership pathways from entry level upwards, with managers who support employee development and peer mentoring available throughout.

Beyond the store, colleagues who demonstrate broader commercial or analytical capability can transition into head office functions, buying, supply chain, or graduate-equivalent programmes. Tesco’s internal job board allows all colleagues to view and apply for vacancies across the full business – from a part-time customer assistant position to a senior head office role – using the same portal.

Tesco is also actively expanding its convenience store estate, aiming to open more than 70 new Tesco Express outlets by the end of the 2026/27 financial year and having already acquired five former Amazon Fresh sites in London for conversion to Express stores. This expansion creates consistent demand for store-level hires and management talent in new and growing locations – which is good news for anyone thinking about joining now and growing with the business.

How to Apply for a Job at Tesco

The application process at Tesco is designed to be accessible. Here is exactly how it works.

Step 1: Visit the official Tesco Careers website. Go to tesco.com/careers or careers.tesco.com and search available positions by location, department, or job type. You can filter by contract type (full-time, part-time, flexible), area of the business, and region.

Step 2: Create an online profile. Register with your personal details and career preferences. This allows Tesco to match you to relevant future vacancies even if you do not land the specific role you first apply for.

Step 3: Complete the application form. Upload your CV and complete the detailed application form, ensuring all required information is provided. For store roles, this typically involves questions about your availability, your motivation for wanting to work at Tesco, and your relevant experience.

Step 4: Complete any online assessments. Some roles – particularly graduate schemes, management positions, and technology roles – require completion of online assessments before interview. These may include situational judgement tests, numerical or verbal reasoning tests, or role-specific exercises. Take these seriously: assessment performance is weighted alongside interview performance.

Step 5: Interview. Interviews for store roles are typically informal and competency-based, conducted by a store manager or deputy manager. For graduate schemes and head office roles, expect a more structured multi-stage process including a telephone screen, assessment day, and final interview. Dress neatly and professionally even for store roles, communicate clearly, be honest about your skills and experience, and bring copies of your CV and right-to-work documents.

Step 6: Right to work check and offer. All new Tesco colleagues must provide evidence of their right to work in the UK before starting. This typically means a passport, birth certificate, or biometric residence permit. Tesco conducts these checks as part of the standard onboarding process for every hire.

What Tesco Looks For in Candidates

Tesco’s culture centres around a set of values that it looks for consistently across every type of role and at every level. Tesco values honesty, respect, and inclusion, and wants everyone to bring their whole selves to work. The company looks for individuals who are adaptable and thrive in a team setting.

For store and operational roles, the qualities most valued are reliability, customer focus, a positive attitude, and genuine flexibility around shift patterns. You do not need retail experience for most entry-level roles – Tesco trains for the specific tasks.

For graduate and head office roles, commercial curiosity, analytical thinking, and the ability to communicate clearly and build relationships across a large organisation are consistently cited. For the Online Graduate Scheme specifically, Tesco looks for potential, curiosity, and a willingness to learn – not a specific degree subject or prior retail background.

For technology roles, relevant technical skills in software engineering, data, product management, or cyber security are the primary requirements, alongside the collaborative mindset that makes large-scale agile development work effectively.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Applying to Tesco

Not tailoring your application to the specific role. A generic application sent simultaneously to every Tesco vacancy in your area will not perform as well as one that specifically references why you want this role at this location. Even a few specific sentences about why Tesco’s values or the particular role appeals to you makes a measurable difference.

Underestimating the online assessments. Whether you are applying for a graduate scheme or a team manager role, Tesco’s online assessments filter a significant portion of applications before they reach a recruiter. Practise situational judgement tests and familiarise yourself with what the assessment for your target role involves before you sit it.

Not checking your availability accurately. Store and distribution roles are scheduled around specific availability windows. If you indicate broader availability than you can genuinely commit to and then restrict it after hiring, it creates friction with your manager and colleagues from the start. Be accurate and realistic from the application stage.

Being vague about career motivation in interviews. “I want to work in a team” and “I like helping people” are answers every retail interviewer has heard hundreds of times. Prepare specific, genuine reasons for wanting to work at Tesco – its scale, its development pathways, a specific aspect of the role that genuinely interests you – and deliver those reasons clearly and confidently.

Not exploring internal progression actively once hired. The colleagues who progress at Tesco are consistently those who communicate their ambitions to their managers, use the available development resources, and apply for internal vacancies when they appear. Tesco supports progression – but it requires you to be actively engaged with your own development, not to simply wait for it to happen.

Is a Tesco Career Right for You?

Tesco is a strong choice for anyone who values stability, genuine career progression, a comprehensive benefits package, and the sense of working for a business that most people in the UK interact with regularly. Tesco is committed to promoting sustainability, affordability, and quality while effecting positive change in the lives of its customers and communities – and for colleagues who care about that mission, it provides a sense of genuine purpose alongside the practical employment benefits.

It is not the right choice for everyone. Store and distribution work is physically demanding, operationally fast-paced, and requires genuine customer focus. Head office restructuring means that corporate career stability requires as much adaptability as any other large employer. And competition for graduate scheme places and technology roles is real.

But for the enormous range of people who are the right fit – from a school leaver wanting their first job to an experienced technologist looking for a company where their skills will be applied at impressive scale – Tesco represents one of the most substantial and reliable career destinations in the UK.

Set up job alerts on UKJobsAlert for Retail, Logistics, IT, and Management roles to be notified of Tesco and other major employer vacancies as soon as they are posted.

5. FAQs

Q: How do I apply for a Tesco job in the UK?

A: Visit tesco.com/careers or careers.tesco.com and search for roles by location, department, and contract type. Create an online profile, complete the application form, upload your CV, and submit. Some roles require completion of online assessments before interview. You will need to provide proof of your right to work in the UK – a passport, birth certificate, or biometric residence permit – as part of onboarding. Applications for store roles can often be submitted and result in interviews within one to two weeks.

Q: What is Tesco’s current pay rate for store colleagues in 2026?

A: The standard hourly rate for Tesco UK in-store colleagues as of 2026 is £12.64 per hour, following a two-stage 5.2% increase agreed with Usdaw in 2025. Colleagues working in London receive £14.36 per hour, following a 7.1% increase to the London living allowance. As of early 2026, no new national pay rise has been officially announced for 2026, though Tesco typically reviews pay around April each year in line with the new financial year.

Q: Does Tesco offer graduate schemes in 2026?

A: Yes. Tesco’s graduate schemes for the September 2026 intake offer a starting salary of £32,000 per year. Schemes cover areas including commercial buying, online and e-commerce, technology, supply chain, finance, and HR. Applications typically open in autumn the year before the September start date. A minimum 2:2 degree in any subject is required for most schemes. The full Tesco colleague benefits package applies from day one, including the Colleague Clubcard, annual bonus scheme, and healthcare support.

Q: What career progression is available at Tesco?

A: Tesco has a well-established internal promotion culture. The most common store progression route runs from Customer Assistant through Shift Leader, Department or Team Manager, and on to Store Manager. Many of Tesco’s most senior leaders started in store-level roles. Beyond the store, internal vacancies across head office, technology, supply chain, and buying functions are accessible to all colleagues via Tesco’s internal job board. Graduate scheme entrants follow a structured two-year programme with defined progression milestones.

Q: What benefits do Tesco employees receive?

A: Tesco’s UK benefits package includes an annual bonus scheme of up to 20% of base salary, an unrestricted Colleague Clubcard for shopping discounts, 26 weeks of full-pay maternity leave (after one year’s service), six weeks of fully paid paternity leave, a free 24/7 virtual GP service, an Employee Assistance Programme for colleagues and families, up to 20 weeks of company sick pay, flexible working arrangements, a workplace pension, and premium pay for night shifts, bank holidays, and overtime.

Q: Does Tesco offer visa sponsorship in the UK?

A: Tesco does hold a UK sponsor licence, and certain roles – particularly in Tesco Technology – may be eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship where the salary meets the £41,700 threshold and the role qualifies at RQF Level 6. Store and operational roles are unlikely to meet the salary threshold for Skilled Worker sponsorship. Always check individual job listings for sponsorship availability, as it is not available across all roles. Candidates on a Graduate visa can work in any Tesco role without sponsorship during their visa period.

Q: What is the interview process like at Tesco?

A: For store roles, interviews are typically informal and competency-based, conducted by a store manager or deputy manager. Expect questions about your customer service experience, how you handle busy or difficult situations, and why you want to work at Tesco. For graduate schemes and head office roles, the process is more structured and includes a telephone screen, online assessments, and an assessment day or final panel interview. For technology roles, technical interviews or coding assessments may form part of the process. Across all levels, Tesco looks for honesty, a collaborative attitude, and genuine enthusiasm for the role.

Q: Can I work at Tesco part-time or on a flexible contract?

A: Yes. Tesco offers part-time, full-time, and flexible contract options across store and distribution roles. Availability windows are set out in each job listing and cover a range of shifts including early mornings, days, evenings, and nights. Flexible working arrangements are available from day one of employment, making Tesco a popular choice for those managing childcare, study, or other commitments alongside work. Part-time colleagues receive the same hourly rate as full-time colleagues in equivalent roles and have access to the same benefits package on a pro-rata basis.

Q: Is Tesco a good employer to work for?

A: Tesco has been designated a Top Employer in the UK for 2026 and has invested over £900 million in colleague wages since April 2022. Glassdoor rates reflect a mixed picture – as is typical of any large employer – with colleagues generally valuing the flexibility, career progression opportunities, and benefits package, while some note the fast-paced operational environment and the physical demands of store and distribution work. For those who genuinely enjoy a customer-facing, team-oriented environment and want a clear path to management, Tesco consistently ranks among the better large retail employers in the UK.