For people looking for supermarket work in Preston, Aldi remains one of the better-paying major grocery employers in the UK.
As of August 2026, the Aldi UK minimum wage for Store Assistants is effectively a starting rate of £13.50 per hour outside London, including Preston. Employees can earn more after the relevant length of service, with the national Store Assistant rate rising to £14.47 per hour.
However, there is an important distinction. £13.50 is Aldi’s own minimum starting rate for Store Assistants, not the UK Government’s statutory minimum wage.
For workers aged 21 and over, the legal National Living Wage is £12.71 per hour from April 2026. This means a Store Assistant starting at Aldi in Preston receives 79p more per hour than the statutory rate.
Aldi Pay in Preston at a Glance
| Pay Category | 2026 Hourly Rate |
| Aldi Store Assistant starting rate in Preston | £13.50 |
| Aldi Store Assistant rate with service | Up to £14.47 |
| UK National Living Wage, age 21+ | £12.71 |
| Difference between Aldi starting pay and legal rate | £0.79 per hour |
| Current voluntary real Living Wage | £13.45 |
Because Preston is outside the M25, employees working at Aldi stores around the city normally fall under Aldi’s national pay structure rather than its higher London rate.
What Is the Aldi UK Minimum Wage in 2026?
The phrase “Aldi UK minimum wage” is commonly searched online, but Aldi does not determine the UK’s legal minimum wage.
Instead, there are two separate figures shoppers and jobseekers should understand.
The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage are legal rates set by the UK Government. Employers generally cannot pay eligible workers below the applicable rate.
Aldi then sets its own employee pay rates above those statutory requirements.
From 1 April 2026, Aldi increased its national starting rate for Store Assistants to £13.50 per hour.
The retailer also introduced a higher rate of up to £14.47 per hour nationally based on length of service.
For someone applying for a standard Aldi Store Assistant position in Preston, therefore, £13.50 per hour is the important starting figure to look for in current vacancies.
How Much Does Aldi Pay in Preston?
Aldi employees in Preston are covered by the supermarket’s national rather than London pay structure.
This means a new Store Assistant would generally expect an advertised basic rate beginning at £13.50 per hour, subject to the particular vacancy, position and employment contract.
With the relevant length of service, the hourly rate can rise to £14.47.
People considering working at one of the city’s branches can also check our guide to Aldi opening times in Preston to understand when local stores typically operate during weekdays, weekends and bank holidays.
Working patterns will not necessarily match the full store opening hours because early starts, deliveries, restocking and closing duties can take place outside normal customer-facing periods.
How Much More Does Aldi Pay Than the UK Minimum Wage?
For someone aged 21 or over, the statutory National Living Wage increased to £12.71 per hour from 1 April 2026.
Aldi’s £13.50 national Store Assistant starting rate is therefore:
£13.50 – £12.71 = £0.79 more per hour.
That may appear to be a relatively small difference when looking at a single hour, but it becomes more significant across a full working year.
| Weekly Hours | Aldi Gross Weekly Pay | Approx. Gross Annual Pay |
| 20 hours | £270.00 | £14,040 |
| 25 hours | £337.50 | £17,550 |
| 30 hours | £405.00 | £21,060 |
| 37.5 hours | £506.25 | £26,325 |
| 40 hours | £540.00 | £28,080 |
These figures use the £13.50 starting rate and assume the same number of paid hours for 52 weeks. They are gross figures before Income Tax, National Insurance, pension deductions or other deductions.
Actual annual earnings will depend on contracted hours, overtime, absence, shift patterns and other employment conditions.
How Much Could an Aldi Worker in Preston Earn After Length of Service?
Aldi’s national pay structure gives qualifying Store Assistants the opportunity to progress from £13.50 to £14.47 per hour based on length of service.
At £14.47 per hour, someone completing 37.5 paid hours each week would have gross earnings of approximately:
£542.63 per week
That is approximately £28,217 per year if the same paid hours were maintained for 52 weeks.
Compared with the £13.50 entry rate, the difference is around £1,892 in gross annual earnings at 37.5 hours a week.
The exact point at which an individual employee receives a higher rate should always be checked against the current Aldi employment contract and vacancy terms.
Does Aldi Pay Younger Workers the Same Rate?
This is one area where looking only at the statutory minimum wage can be misleading.
The UK legally allows different minimum-wage rates according to age and apprenticeship status. From April 2026, the statutory rates include:
| Worker | Statutory Rate |
| Age 21 and over | £12.71 |
| Age 18 to 20 | £10.85 |
| Under 18 | £8.00 |
| Qualifying apprentice rate | £8.00 |
Current Aldi recruitment messaging for Store Assistant vacancies states that successful applicants receive the national Store Assistant rate regardless of age.
That can make Aldi particularly relevant to younger people in Preston looking for their first retail job, because the advertised Store Assistant rate can be considerably higher than the statutory minimum an employer is legally required to pay a younger worker.
Jobseekers should still confirm the exact rate shown in the vacancy they are applying for rather than assuming every role within Aldi uses the same pay structure.
Is Aldi Pay Higher Than the Real Living Wage?
Yes, although only slightly at the national starting level.
The voluntary real Living Wage is currently £13.45 per hour outside London.
Aldi’s national Store Assistant starting rate of £13.50 is therefore 5p per hour higher.
It is important not to confuse the real Living Wage with the Government’s National Living Wage.
The National Living Wage is a statutory requirement for eligible employees, whereas the real Living Wage is a voluntary benchmark based on estimated living costs.
For Preston workers, the three figures can therefore be viewed as:
- £12.71: Statutory National Living Wage for workers aged 21+
- £13.45: Voluntary real Living Wage
- £13.50: Aldi national Store Assistant starting rate
This distinction directly answers one of the most common areas of confusion surrounding searches for the Aldi UK minimum wage.
Do Aldi Employees Get Paid Breaks?
Pay per hour is only one part of Aldi’s overall employment package.
Aldi says it remains the only major UK supermarket to provide paid breaks to all store colleagues and estimates that this benefit is worth approximately £1,500 per year to the average store colleague.
That matters when comparing jobs.
Two supermarkets could advertise very similar headline hourly rates, but if one employee is paid during rest breaks while another is not, their effective compensation across the year can be different.
Aldi’s recruitment information also highlights benefits including annual leave, training and development, wellbeing support and additional payments associated with certain night and bank-holiday work.
Applicants should compare the entire employment package rather than choosing a supermarket solely because of a difference of a few pence in the basic hourly rate.
Is Aldi the Highest-Paying Supermarket in the UK?
Aldi describes itself as the UK’s highest-paying supermarket based on its national Store Assistant starting rate.
As of the current 2026 pay announcements, Aldi’s £13.50 national starting rate is slightly above Lidl at £13.45 and M&S at £13.41.
| Supermarket | National Starting Rate in 2026 |
| Aldi | £13.50 |
| Lidl | £13.45 |
| M&S | £13.41 |
| Tesco | £13.28 |
| Waitrose | £13.25 |
| Sainsbury’s | £13.23 |
The picture becomes slightly different when length-of-service rates, London premiums and employee benefits are compared.
Preston residents considering several supermarket employers can see the wider comparison in our guide to the latest UK supermarket pay rates.
For people looking specifically for entry-level supermarket work in Preston, however, Aldi currently sits at the top end of the national hourly-pay market.
Why Do Some Websites Still Say Aldi Pays £13.35 an Hour?
People searching for Aldi UK minimum wage may see different figures across Google.
One of the main reasons is that Aldi increased Store Assistant pay more than once during 2026.
From 1 March 2026, the national starting rate increased to £13.35 per hour.
Aldi then announced another increase taking the rate to £13.50 per hour from 1 April 2026.
Consequently, pages published following the January pay announcement but not subsequently updated may still display £13.35.
For Preston workers checking vacancies in August 2026, £13.50 is the more recent national Store Assistant starting rate.
This is why the publication or update date matters when comparing supermarket salary information.
What Other Aldi Jobs Are Available Beyond Store Assistant?
A Store Assistant is only one possible route into Aldi.
Store teams can include roles involving stock, store supervision and management, while Aldi also recruits across logistics, warehouses, administration and regional management.
For example, Aldi currently advertises higher hourly rates for Deputy Store Managers, alongside an additional payment for hours spent running a store.
Someone starting as a Store Assistant may therefore view the £13.50 rate as an entry point rather than their long-term earning ceiling.
Aldi’s recruitment information also highlights training and the possibility of progressing into more senior store roles.
For Preston jobseekers interested in retail as a longer-term career rather than temporary work, promotion prospects can be just as important as the initial hourly wage.
Is Working at Aldi in Preston Worth Considering?
On pay alone, Aldi is currently competitive.
A Store Assistant in Preston starts above both the statutory National Living Wage and the current voluntary real Living Wage.
There are also paid breaks and opportunities for the hourly rate to rise with service.
However, supermarket work can be fast-paced. Aldi Store Assistants can be expected to carry out several tasks rather than remaining solely on a checkout, including restocking shelves, handling deliveries, helping customers and maintaining the shop floor.
Anyone applying should therefore look beyond the headline salary and consider:
- Contracted weekly hours
- Shift start and finish times
- Weekend requirements
- Travel distance to the store
- Paid breaks
- Night or bank-holiday enhancements
- Progression opportunities
- Pension and employment benefits
The best vacancy will depend on the applicant’s circumstances rather than hourly pay alone.
What Should Preston Applicants Check Before Applying?
Anyone applying for an Aldi job in Preston should use the actual vacancy as the final authority on pay.
A useful checklist is to confirm the hourly rate, contracted hours, store location, whether shifts include early mornings or evenings and how pay progression works.
The national pay announcement gives jobseekers a useful benchmark, but individual roles can have different responsibilities and compensation.
It is also worth checking when a vacancy was published. Older listings can remain visible on third-party jobs websites even after an employer has increased its wage rates.
Conclusion
The Aldi UK minimum wage in 2026 is best understood as Aldi’s own minimum Store Assistant starting rate rather than the statutory UK minimum wage.
For Aldi Store Assistants in Preston, the current national starting rate is £13.50 per hour, rising to £14.47 with the relevant length of service.
That puts Aldi’s entry-level Store Assistant pay 79p above the £12.71 statutory National Living Wage for eligible workers aged 21 and over and 5p above the current voluntary real Living Wage.
For someone working 37.5 paid hours each week at the £13.50 starting rate, that equates to approximately £26,325 gross per year before deductions.
Combined with paid breaks and possible pay progression, the figures help explain why Aldi continues to compete strongly for supermarket workers in Preston and elsewhere across the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Aldi UK minimum wage in 2026?
Aldi Store Assistants outside the M25 currently start on £13.50 per hour, rising to £14.47 based on length of service. This is Aldi’s employer-set rate rather than the statutory UK minimum wage.
How much does Aldi pay per hour in Preston?
Preston falls under Aldi’s national pay structure. Store Assistant pay therefore starts at £13.50 per hour and can rise to £14.47 with length of service.
Is Aldi’s minimum wage higher than the UK minimum wage?
Yes. Aldi’s £13.50 Store Assistant starting rate is 79p higher than the £12.71 National Living Wage applying to eligible workers aged 21 and over from April 2026.
Does Aldi pay £13.50 to workers under 21?
Current recruitment information for Aldi Store Assistant vacancies states that the national £13.50 rate is offered regardless of age. Applicants should confirm the rate on the specific vacancy before applying.
Does Aldi pay more after working there for longer?
Yes. Aldi’s national Store Assistant rate can increase from £13.50 to £14.47 per hour based on length of service.
Does Aldi pay for staff breaks?
Yes. Aldi says all its store colleagues receive paid breaks and estimates that the benefit is worth approximately £1,500 per year to the average store colleague.
How much would an Aldi worker earn working 30 hours per week?
At £13.50 per hour, 30 paid hours equals £405 gross per week, or approximately £21,060 gross per year if the same hours are worked for 52 weeks.
Why do some websites list Aldi pay as £13.35?
£13.35 was Aldi’s national starting rate from 1 March 2026. A second increase raised Store Assistant starting pay to £13.50 from 1 April 2026, so some older articles and job listings now contain an outdated figure.
