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?

"Good people and a decent company" ((in 36 reviews)); "I have bee working as a cashier for 2 years and we have great customer service and hours are flexible." ((in 35 reviews)); "Benefits are good." ((in 34 reviews)); "The customers are great and coworkers can be fun!" ((in 24 reviews)); "Employer has a flexible schedules." ((in 17 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 55 reviews)); "One manager was terrible at managing" ((in 26 reviews)); "Blatant favoritism with certain employees, over looking poor work and moral ethics by management." ((in 22 reviews)); "No work life balance at all" ((in 13 reviews)); "30 cent raise when you know you deserver more than triple that." ((in 9 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

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

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (772 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

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).

Reviews by job title

772 reviews

4.0

Jun 28, 2014

A lot of hard work and effort needed

Key carrier

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Your coworkers, key carriers, and managers become your friends and in both work and social life, can be people you trust and build bonds with. The company stands on growth and empowering the trades of grocery retail. Managers are understanding and supervisors are always there to guide you and help out with any questions or concerns. The departments help each other out so the place can run smoothly.

Cons

Late hours for closing associates. Repetitive workload leading to boredom sometimes, or no opportunity to change up the pace or acknowledged. Working full time hours but still a part time associate.

3.0

Jun 23, 2014

Service Clerk

Service clerk

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Co-workers were great. I was able to work with my schedule with school and being my first job it was ok.

Cons

Pay was ok but raises were hard to get. More on how many hours a year vs how long you worked there. Management was ok at first but later on the I noticed things were the company tired to implement new things and I would be told one thing and the next day would be told another. This got better when I left but it was hard to follow who was right.

3.0

Jun 20, 2014

Very challenging with limited opportunity for growth and advancement.

Full time key carrier

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great place for people with retail grocery backgrounds to get back on track, because they are looking for candidates that have a strong grocery store bcakground.

Cons

They run a very tight labor budget so don't work there thinking that you can just deligate job duties, everybody is running around trying to get the job done. Its a very tough place to work in when it gets really busy, its not staffed like a real grocery store so beware.

Viewing 730 - 732 of 772 Reviews

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Jobs at Smart & Final

Accounts Payable Clerk

Analyst, Consumer Insights

Associate Manager, Social Media

Smart & Final

Smart & Final reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

A lot of hard work and effort needed

Service Clerk

Very challenging with limited opportunity for growth and advancement.

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at Smart & Final