Does Smart & Final pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Smart & Final employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.8 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Smart & Final. This rating has improved by 5% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Smart & Final?

38% of Smart & Final employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Smart & Final 2.8 out of 5 for work life balance, 2.8 for culture and values and 2.8 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Smart & Final?

Cashier (106) , Sales Associate/Cashier (47) , Sales Associate (24) , Service Clerk (23) , Associate (19) , Assistant Manager (14) , Store Manager (12) , Front End Cashier (11) , Load Crew (11) , PIC (Person In Charge) (11) , Key Carrier (10) , Supervisor (10) , Grocery Clerk (9) , Overnight Stocker (9) , Store Associate (9)

What are the pros of working at Smart & Final according to real employee reviews?

"I have bee working as a cashier for 2 years and we have great customer service and hours are flexible." ((in 39 reviews)); "They will give you hours and you’ll meet some great people but the company doesn’t know what they are doing." ((in 36 reviews)); "Benefits are good." ((in 31 reviews)); "The customers are great and coworkers can be fun!" ((in 22 reviews)); "Employer has a flexible schedules." ((in 15 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Smart & Final according to real employee reviews?

"Low pay and vary hard to move upward in the company." ((in 56 reviews)); "One manager was terrible at managing" ((in 27 reviews)); "Blatant favoritism with certain employees, over looking poor work and moral ethics by management." ((in 23 reviews)); "No work life balance at all" ((in 14 reviews)); "30 cent raise when you know you deserver more than triple that." ((in 10 reviews))

What are employees saying about Smart & Final layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Smart & Final layoffs and their outlook for job security at Smart & Final in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Smart & Final locations?

Los Angeles , Commerce , San Diego , Riverside , San Jose , Sacramento , San Francisco , Huntington Beach , Long Beach , Las Vegas , Palmdale , Chula Vista , Phoenix , Bakersfield , Visalia , Fresno , La Habra , Lakewood , North Hollywood , Pasadena , Modesto , Simi Valley , Salinas , Seaside , Encinitas , Fullerton , Northridge , Santa Ana , Danville , Oakland

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Smart & Final

Smart & Final reviews

3.1

38% would recommend to a friend

(772 total reviews)

David G. Hirz

36% approve of CEO

25% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.2

Diversity & inclusion

2.8

Culture & values

2.8

Work/Life balance

2.8

Compensation and benefits

2.8

Career opportunities

2.6

Senior management

Smart & Final has an employee rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars, based on 772 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Smart & Final employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.5 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

772 reviews

3.0

Sep 17, 2016

Cashier/Front End Clerk

Cashier/front end clerk

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

When management can see the potential in their associates and is willing to train those individuals to take on more responsibility. That's what makes employees want to come to work everyday.

Cons

Most associates work very diligently and are unable to complete their tasks in the allotted time, due to schedule changes and low labor.

3.0

Sep 6, 2016

I've been working at smart & final as a cashier for half a year now.

Cashier/clerk

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Bump in pay with good work consistency. Good deals/ discount. Friendly coworkers. Have fun with closing managers. Some "regulars" are fun to talk to.

Cons

The most challenging thing for me is the amount of stress I'm under while on the register. We are understaffed with a consistent customer base... Whom happen to be rude and demanding. I am often kept behind register throughout my shift, minus the 3 breaks I get. Sometimes just a 10 and a 30 min lunch. With the remodel, we are put under SO much pressure to maintain the store's product consistency but are no grocery clerks to stock up and face the shelves. The clerks we do have mainly work on go backs and "clean" the bathrooms. With minimal cashiers, we have to call up a manager or supervisor to be on register.

3.0

Sep 4, 2016

Sales associate

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good benefits. Takes 2.5years to reach scale.

Cons

Union based. Might get transfered after 6months.

Viewing 640 - 642 of 772 Reviews

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Jobs at Smart & Final

Part-time Retail Associate - 350 Las Vegas

Part-time Associate (Load Crew/Overnight) - 489 Las Vegas

Part-time Retail Associate - 744 Las Vegas

Part-time Retail Associate - 352 Las Vegas

Service Clerk - 350 Las Vegas