Workers at top 20 US low-wage firms rely on public assistance, report says

While CEO pay at large U.S. corporations remains in the stratosphere, low-wage workers are struggling with both rising costs and the gutting of our social safety net —with 7.5 million Americans expected to lose Medicaid and 4 million to lose SNAP benefits to offset tax cuts for corporations and the rich under the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.”

Solving the current “affordability crisis” will require safety net repairs and better ways to control basic costs. But to fix this problem for the long-term, we need to put an end to the poverty wage business model that is all too prevalent in Corporate America.

This report analyzes the 20 largest employers of low-wage U.S. workers, a group we’ve dubbed the “Low-Wage 20.” Together, the Low-Wage 20 companies employ approximately 6.7 million people in the United States. Their median worker wages in 2024 ranged from $9,602 (Ross Stores) to $47,607 (MGM Resorts) — compared to an average CEO compensation of over $18 million.