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 40 reviews)); "Benefits are good." ((in 38 reviews)); "They will give you hours and you’ll meet some great people but the company doesn’t know what they are doing." ((in 34 reviews)); "Overnight manager was great and we got to listen to music." ((in 27 reviews)); "The customers are great and coworkers can be fun!" ((in 22 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)); "Blatant favoritism with certain employees, over looking poor work and moral ethics by management." ((in 23 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)); "Upper management completely out of touch, labor scheduling is a joke." ((in 8 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

1.0

Aug 10, 2016

Been stuck, yes stuck, in the same position for years with constant false promises of moving up.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Got a coupon for a free turkey during Thanksgiving. Other than that, nothing to look forward to going to work every day.

Cons

Management has no concern for employees . Extremely overworked. Given unachievable goals. Work split day shifts,10 hours occasionally, with no overtime.

3.0

Feb 17, 2016

Good starter job

Crew member

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good job to get started, learn how everything works

Cons

All the blame for a small mistake, never get acknowledge for a great job

3.0

Aug 11, 2014

Cashier

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Employee discount Cheap food Nice co workers If the manager likes you, you will get hours. Great if you in school.

Cons

They will hire you as a full timer but you will only get scheduled for part timer. Only work 4 hour sifts. No full 8 hour shifts. Favoritism is key at smart and final. They like you to kiss there butt. You can be hard working but will not get noticed. Expects you to do a lot for little pay. Not good with raises. If your lucky once a year. They don't appreciate hard work.

Viewing 13 - 15 of 772 Reviews

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Smart & Final

Smart & Final reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Been stuck, yes stuck, in the same position for years with constant false promises of moving up.

Good starter job

Cashier

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