Buc-ee’s Management Salaries Ignite Online Debate

Buc-ee’s, the Texas-based convenience-store chain, lists general-manager salaries on its careers site at $200,000 – $275,000 or higher, with assistant-general-manager pay starting at $125,000. The postings do not require a college degree for these roles. Entry-level associates, by contrast, earn $20-$25 an hour according to the same site.

The Independent

The National Association of Colleges and Employers reports the average salary for a bachelor’s-degree holder in computer science at $81,535, far below the top managerial range at Buc-ee’s. Texas’s nonprofit teacher-recruitment organization TEACH cites an average starting teacher salary of $47,195, while the Social Security Administration notes that men and women with bachelor’s degrees earn $655,000 and $450,000 more, respectively, than high-school graduates over a lifetime.

The Independent

Social-media users have highlighted Buc-ee’s stringent policies: tardiness “two times, non-consecutively, you're fired,” prohibition on sitting for an entire shift, bans on non-work-related conversation, and a requirement to leave phones in the break room. Critics argue the high pay is offset by a demanding work environment and question the value of a degree when such lucrative positions are available without one.

The Independent

The Independent contacted Buc-ee’s to verify the reported policies and salary figures. The company did not respond to the request for comment.

The Independent

• “Graduated with a degree in communications, currently making $19. buc-ees would pay me more to clean bathrooms,” — X user @sofskye46, July 6

The Independent

• “Meanwhile average starting teacher pay in Texas is around $49k but we wonder why teachers are leaving this profession in record numbers,” — X user @_CoachIrvin02, Monday

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• “Yeah screw education,” — X user Wowzni, Tuesday

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• “I am sure they will [be] picky on who they hire,” — X user @robertw477, Monday

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• “If you are 1 minute late two times, non-consecutively, you're fired,” — Reddit user @Additional-Local8721, June

The Independent