Target will open 2,300 seasonal job positions in its stores in the Atlanta metropolitan area for the year-end shopping season, with an initial pay of $15 to $24 per hour. The company announced this on Thursday, October 8.
Why it matters: the announcement comes amid debate over the cost of living in Georgia. In the Ossoff-Collins Senate debate on Thursday, October 8, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff and Republican Representative Mike Collins clashed over gas prices, health insurance, and tariffs. For many Latino families, a part-time holiday job is a way to cover those expenses.
A retail salesperson earns an average of $16.85 per hour in the Atlanta area, $16.34 in Georgia, and $17.94 nationwide, according to the BLS's May 2025 occupational wage survey. Target's lowest starting pay ($15) is below these averages, while their highest starting pay ($24) exceeds them by more than $6.
Compared to all workers, the gap is wider. The average hourly wage in the private sector was $37.62 in the Atlanta area, $36.10 in Georgia, and $37.76 nationwide in August 2026, according to preliminary BLS figures. This average includes higher-paying professions like doctors and engineers. The typical hourly wage, or median, for all workers in Atlanta was $24.60 in May 2025: almost equal to highest hourly pay offered by Target.
In Georgia, the state minimum wage is $5.15, but the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour applies to almost all jobs, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.
With regular gas at $3.83 per gallon in Georgia, according to AAA, one hour of work at $15 can buy about 3.9 gallons; at $24, about 6.3 gallons. If you work 40 hours a week, you would earn between $600 and $960 before taxes. Seasonal jobs do not always offer full-time schedules, so you should ask how many hours you will get.
In the Atlanta area, wages have risen faster than prices. The average hourly wage in the private sector increased 4.6% between August 2025 and August 2026, while consumer prices in the area rose 2.9%, according to the BLS. Nationwide, the average wage rose 3.1% and prices 3.4% over the same period.
Target has maintained its seasonal hiring at around 100,000 nationwide in recent years, but has not given a figure for 2026, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The firm noted that last season was the lowest for seasonal retail hiring since 2008.
Sources: Target; The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; BLS, occupational wages (OEWS); BLS, employment and wages (CES); BLS, Atlanta CPI; Georgia Department of Labor; AAA; Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Data consulted on October 9, 2026.
