Walmart makes another big change and it has to do with money

Amid reports some managers could earn up to $500,000 a year, Walmart announced a major change in the earning potential for hourly employees.

A blog post from John Furner, President and CEO of Walmart US, and Lo Stomski, Senior Vice President and Chief Talent Officer, outlined plans to offer a new bonus to eligible full-time and part-time hourly store associates. Complete details of the bonus plan weren’t released but it will reward “great work and customer service,” and “celebrate long-term associates who build a career at Walmart.”

The longer an employee stays with Walmart, the higher their bonus potential, up to $1,000 a year.

“These investments are all part of our people-led, tech-powered commitment to Walmart associates. We believe in them and their potential. We know that when they’re given the right tools, opportunities for growth and investments in their personal well-being, they can accomplish more than they imagined personally and professionally,” Furner and Stomski said in the blog post.

READ MORE: Walmart changing neighborhood market stores

At the same time, Walmart plans to launch an Associate to Technician pipeline program to train hourly store and supply chain employees in high-demand roles such as facilities maintenance, refrigeration, HVAC, and automation technical roles. These positions will pay between $19-$45 per hour, compared to Walmart’s current hourly wage of $18.

Walmart said it is also doubling the number of paid education options offered through the company’s Live Better U where workers can, in an average of four months, complete training in jobs such as supply chain management, pharmacy technicians, opticians and software engineers.

Walmart currently employs roughly 1.6 million people in the U.S.