How AutoZone Pays
Compensation Intelligence Report — FY2025 / FY2026
Band Hierarchy
AutoZone does not publish grade codes or salary-band numbers. AZ-1 to AZ-12 is an analytical crosswalk that aligns store, distribution-centre, support-centre and technology careers with the officer titles filed in the proxy — a benchmarking device, not an AutoZone HR grade map.
Frontline, professional and individual-contributor levels
Director and officer levels
Senior-leadership catalogue — filed eligibility thresholds
Hierarchy qualifications
- AutoZone’s filings name officers and describe eligibility thresholds such as “Vice President and above,” but do not publish a grade code, salary-band number or universal job-level mapping. Any numeric hierarchy beyond named officer titles would be invented; the crosswalk is a reporting device that aligns store, distribution, support-centre and technology careers [S1][S3][S15].
- AZ-1 and AZ-2 are predominantly frontline / IC. Management and professional / technical paths begin to diverge around AZ-3: an employee may progress through store leadership (shift / parts manager → assistant manager → store manager → district / region) or through support-centre IC roles (analyst / engineer → senior / lead / principal → director). The crosswalk does not imply pay equivalence between these paths.
- Direct peer companies use different internal titles and do not provide enough public information to claim one-to-one grade equivalence.
- No material predecessor-merger band structure requiring harmonisation was identified in reviewed filings; AutoZone’s long-running organic, acquisition-light operating model makes a “post-merger grade harmonisation” narrative unsupported.
- No official global band / grade table, non-executive bonus matrix, attrition rate, broad promotion-hike matrix or forced-distribution policy is publicly disclosed. Crowdsourced salary data is sparse outside the US and sometimes internally inconsistent — a benchmark, not payroll truth.
Career-path mapping across the crosswalk
| Bands | Store / distribution path | Support-centre / technology path | Core distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| AZ-1 – AZ-5 | Sales associate → parts specialist → Parts Sales Manager → assistant manager → store manager / DC supervisor | Entry support → analyst / engineer I → analyst → senior analyst / systems engineer → senior engineer / data scientist | Store / DC and junior-to-senior professional roles; hourly and part-time prevalence in stores |
| AZ-6 – AZ-8 | District or territory manager → regional / commercial manager → divisional director | Lead engineer / product manager → architect / principal specialist / IT manager → IT director | Multi-unit and functional management; director benchmarks anchored by current postings |
| AZ-9 – AZ-12 | VP operating leader → SVP → EVP / COO → President & CEO | VP functional leader → SVP → EVP / CFO → CEO | Officer levels; XSPP, EDCP and executive benefits begin at VP; named-executive pay filed in the proxy |
Compensation by Band — United States
Low / median / high annual estimates in USD. AZ-1 to AZ-9 triangulate postings and salary aggregators into analytical market ranges; AZ-10 to AZ-12 are observed FY2025 named-executive values, so the low / high corridor collapses to the disclosed figure.
| Band | Title | Base | Variable | Total TC | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AZ-1 | Frontline / trainee 0–2 yrs | $23.5K – $40.0K | 0–5% | $34.0K $24.0K – $50.0K | ESPP |
| AZ-2 | Skilled frontline / junior 1–3 yrs | $30.0K – $52.0K | 0–8% | $43.0K $31.0K – $65.0K | ESPP |
| AZ-3 | Supervisor / intermediate IC 2–5 yrs | $38.0K – $72.0K | 5–10% | $58.0K $40.0K – $90.0K | ESPP |
| AZ-4 | First-line manager / senior IC 3–7 yrs | $50.0K – $112.0K | 5–12% | $88.0K $54.0K – $138.0K | ESPP |
| AZ-5 | Unit manager / senior technical IC 5–10 yrs | $65.0K – $148.0K | 8–15% | $124.0K $72.0K – $185.0K | ESPP |
| AZ-6 | Multi-unit manager / lead IC 7–13 yrs | $90.0K – $180.0K | 10–20% | $165.0K $102.0K – $235.0K | ESPP |
| AZ-7 | Functional manager / principal IC 9–16 yrs | $120.0K – $215.0K | 15–30% | $205.0K $142.0K – $300.0K | ESPP |
| AZ-8 | Director 12–20 yrs | $150.0K – $255.0K | 20–40% | $265.0K $185.0K – $400.0K | ESPP |
| AZ-9 | Vice President 15–23 yrs | $200.0K – $380.0K | 30–50% | $470.0K $280.0K – $800.0K | XSPP |
| AZ-10 | Senior Vice President 17–27 yrs | $500.0K | 60% | $4.3M Observed FY2025 SVP named-executive example | Options |
| AZ-11 | EVP / CFO / COO 20–30 yrs | $516.9K – $808.5K | 75–100% | $6.9M $6.0M – $6.9M | Options |
| AZ-12 | CEO / Executive Chair 25+ yrs | $1.0M | 130% | $9.6M Observed FY2025 CEO | Options |
Observed role benchmarks — United States
| Role | Low | Median | High | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Retail sales associate Frontline store | $11.31/hr | — | $11.31/hr | US$23.5k FTE; many jobs may be part-time | Indeed [S10] |
Current retail posting Frontline store | $16.90/hr | — | $17.18/hr | US$35.2k–35.7k FTE | AutoZone posting, Aug 2026 [S6] |
Commercial driver Skilled frontline | $14.10/hr | — | $15.28/hr | US$29.3k–31.8k FTE | AutoZone posting [S6] |
Parts Sales Manager Store supervisor | $14.10/hr | — | $14.86/hr | US$29.3k–30.9k FTE | AutoZone posting [S6] |
Store manager Unit manager | $41.0K | $55.2K | $65.0K | p10 / average / p90 base; bonus US$4k–15k | PayScale [S11] |
District manager Multi-unit manager | $79.8K | — | $106.9K | Central estimates; wide US$47k–154k reported range | Indeed / Zippia / ZipRecruiter conflict |
Software engineer Technology IC | $100.0K | $120.0K | $144.0K | Total US$107k / 129k / 157k | Glassdoor; Levels / Indeed cross-check [S8][S9] |
Systems engineer Technology IC | $95.0K | — | $115.0K | Total not disclosed | Current AutoZone posting [S6] |
Senior software engineer Senior technology IC | $100.0K | — | $130.0K | Total not disclosed | Current AutoZone posting [S6] |
IT Director — Information Security Director | $150.0K | — | $180.0K | Total not disclosed | Current AutoZone posting [S6] |
The principal location distinctions publicly observable are national store / DC hourly wages and Memphis-area corporate and technology roles. AutoZone does not publish geographic salary differentials or a national locality grid.
Total Compensation Range by Band
Total compensation corridor for AZ-1 through AZ-9 in the United States. AZ-10 to AZ-12 are single observed named-executive values and are shown in the executive section.
Global Footprint & Pay Arbitrage
AutoZone’s disclosed operating markets are the United States, Mexico and Brazil, with support centres in Memphis, Monterrey, Chihuahua, São Paulo and Gurugram and sourcing / support offices in Shanghai and Istanbul. No Australian, UK, New Zealand or Singapore employee population was substantiated [S1][S2].
Disclosed footprint and data availability
| Location | Status | Primary profile | Pay-data confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States · United States | disclosed | Memphis Store Support Center; 6,766 stores; principal technology and H-1B worksite | high |
| Mexico · Mexico | disclosed | 933 stores; Monterrey and Chihuahua support centres | medium |
| Brazil · Brazil | disclosed | 157 stores; São Paulo support centre | medium |
| Gurugram · India | disclosed | Disclosed India support centre; technology-heavy samples | low |
| Shanghai · China | disclosed | Sourcing / support office; no reliable pay data located | none |
| Istanbul · Türkiye | disclosed | Sourcing / support office; no reliable pay data located | none |
| Australia · Australia | no presence | No disclosed AutoZone operating market, support centre or employee population | none |
Store network at 9 May 2026
| Market | Stores | Share | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 6,766 | 86.1% | Dominates headcount and operating scale |
| Mexico | 933 | 11.9% | Largest international market |
| Brazil | 157 | 2.0% | Smallest disclosed retail market |
AutoZone does not disclose headcount by city or country beyond the ~19,000 international total, so the store count is the best public proxy for the relative scale of each market [S2].
US ÷ Gurugram technology pay — role-matched external ratios
| Role | United States | Gurugram | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software / systems engineer | US$95k – 157k | ₹21L – 36L (US$22k – 38k) | ~2.5× – 7.1× |
| Senior software / systems engineer | US$100k – 150k | ₹44L – 52L (US$46k – 55k) | ~1.8× – 3.3× |
Ratios compare observed base ranges before benefits, equity and job-scope differences, at ₹95.42 per US$1. They are external benchmark ratios, not an internal equal-level multiplier or transfer-pricing schedule.
Review cycle and hike evidence by market
| Market | Cycle | Hike / payout evidence | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States — executives | Annual MIP measured over the fiscal year; regular option grants normally in the first fiscal quarter [S3] | FY2023 112.8%; FY2024 99.31%; FY2025 96.75% of target MIP | High |
| United States — broader workforce | Employee discussions describe Rewards Performance Management decisions around September and raises around October | No official average raise or rating-to-hike matrix disclosed | Low; anecdotal |
| Mexico | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed | — |
| Brazil | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed | — |
| India | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed | — |
| China / Türkiye | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed | — |
Off-cycle corrections and the onsite / offshore question
No verified company-wide mid-year correction, off-cycle market-adjustment programme or location-based cost-of-living formula was located. AutoZone is not organised publicly as an IT-services onsite / offshore delivery model: the Gurugram support centre creates labour-cost differences for technology and support roles, but no formal rotation allowance or same-band global multiplier is disclosed, so the US–India comparison is a role-benchmark ratio, not an internal transfer-pricing schedule.
Variable Pay & Management Incentive Plan
Only the named-executive targets and the corporate MIP formula are filed. Targets for AZ-1 to AZ-9 are analytical ranges derived from posting language and salary-site bonus data — not an AutoZone bonus matrix.
| Band | Target / planning rate | Payout mechanism | Recent payout |
|---|---|---|---|
AZ-1 Frontline / trainee | 0–5% modeled | Store and commercial postings mention bonuses and salary sites show bonus ranges for selected roles, but measures, cadence and thresholds cannot be verified by band | No historical payout percentage stated for this band |
AZ-2 Skilled frontline / junior | 0–8% modeled | Store and commercial postings mention bonuses and salary sites show bonus ranges for selected roles, but measures, cadence and thresholds cannot be verified by band | No historical payout percentage stated for this band |
AZ-3 Supervisor / intermediate IC | 5–10% modeled | Store and commercial postings mention bonuses and salary sites show bonus ranges for selected roles, but measures, cadence and thresholds cannot be verified by band | No historical payout percentage stated for this band |
AZ-4 First-line manager / senior IC | 5–12% modeled | Store and commercial postings mention bonuses and salary sites show bonus ranges for selected roles, but measures, cadence and thresholds cannot be verified by band | No historical payout percentage stated for this band |
AZ-5 Unit manager / senior technical IC | 8–15% modeled | Store and commercial postings mention bonuses and salary sites show bonus ranges for selected roles, but measures, cadence and thresholds cannot be verified by band | No historical payout percentage stated for this band |
AZ-6 Multi-unit manager / lead IC | 10–20% modeled | Store and commercial postings mention bonuses and salary sites show bonus ranges for selected roles, but measures, cadence and thresholds cannot be verified by band | No historical payout percentage stated for this band |
AZ-7 Functional manager / principal IC | 15–30% modeled | Store and commercial postings mention bonuses and salary sites show bonus ranges for selected roles, but measures, cadence and thresholds cannot be verified by band | No historical payout percentage stated for this band |
AZ-8 Director | 20–40% modeled | Store and commercial postings mention bonuses and salary sites show bonus ranges for selected roles, but measures, cadence and thresholds cannot be verified by band | No historical payout percentage stated for this band |
AZ-9 Vice President | 30–50% modeled | Analytical VP range; no company-wide VP table disclosed. XSPP and EDCP eligibility begins here. | No historical payout percentage stated for this band |
AZ-10 Senior Vice President | 60% target | Annual executive MIP on Economic Profit, EBIT and ROIC; cash payout after fiscal-year results and committee certification | FY2025 corporate MIP 96.75% of target |
AZ-11 EVP / CFO / COO | 75–100% target | Annual executive MIP on Economic Profit, EBIT and ROIC; cash payout after fiscal-year results and committee certification | FY2025 corporate MIP 96.75% of target |
AZ-12 CEO / Executive Chair | 130% target | Annual executive MIP on Economic Profit, EBIT and ROIC; cash payout after fiscal-year results and committee certification | FY2025 corporate MIP 96.75% of target |
Filed FY2025 executive MIP design — three corporate measures
AutoZone’s annual executive MIP is formula-driven: a 90% threshold produces a 50% payout, target performance produces 100%, and the plan can pay up to 300% of target. Beginning in FY2025 AutoZone eliminated the prior individual-performance modifier, increasing the weight of company results [S3].
Three-year corporate MIP history — target / actual
| FY | Economic Profit | EBIT | ROIC | Payout | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | US$2,371.1m / US$2,432.0m | US$3,423.7m / US$3,523.5m | 55.23% / 53.78% | 112.8% | Included individual 1–5 modifier [S5] |
| FY2024 | US$2,550.1m / US$2,546.6m | US$3,747.6m / US$3,748.7m | 50.82% / 48.76% | 99.31% | Individual modifier still applied [S4] |
| FY2025 | US$2,474.3m / US$2,458.2m | US$3,808.4m / US$3,762.4m | 42.38% / 41.55% | 96.75% | Company result only; individual modifier removed [S3] |
Actual FY2025 named-executive payouts
| Executive | Salary · target | Target | Actual | Actual / salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philip B. Daniele — CEO | US$1,000,000 · 130% | $1,300,000 | $1,257,751 | 125.8% of salary 96.75% of target |
| Jamere Jackson — EVP / CFO | US$808,462 · 100% | $808,462 | $782,187 | 96.7% of salary 96.75% of target |
| Thomas B. Newbern — EVP / COO | US$808,462 · 100% | $808,462 | $782,187 | 96.7% of salary 96.75% of target |
| William T. Hackney — EVP | US$516,923 · 75% | $387,692 | $375,093 | 72.6% of salary 96.75% of target |
| Eric S. Jaycox — SVP | US$500,000 · 60% | $300,000 | $290,251 | 58.1% of salary 96.75% of target |
How the mechanics work
- Executive MIP is an annual cash payout after fiscal-year results and committee certification.
- The Economic Profit construct explicitly charges for capital, linking growth to return quality rather than sales alone.
- Equity is separately delivered through options / RSUs; XSPP matching shares are purchase-plan benefits, not MIP.
- No pre- / post-merger variable-pay difference is applicable based on reviewed evidence.
Non-executive variable pay
A complete company-wide bonus matrix is not publicly disclosed. Store and commercial postings mention bonuses, and public salary sites show bonus ranges for selected roles (store manager bonus US$4k–15k on PayScale), but the measures, payout cadence and participation thresholds cannot be verified by band. AZ-1 to AZ-9 percentages are therefore analytical ranges labelled as modeled; no historical payout percentage is stated for those bands.
Equity — Options, RSUs, ESPP & XSPP
AutoZone has no conventional employee-ownership ESOP or ESOP trust. Broad ownership comes from a discounted Employee Stock Purchase Plan, executive ownership from the VP-and-above Executive Stock Purchase Plan, and awards from the shareholder-approved 2020 Omnibus Incentive Award Plan, where options — not RSUs — are the principal executive vehicle.
AutoZone does not disclose a conventional employee-ownership ESOP. The relevant programmes are purchase plans and awards under an omnibus equity plan; calling all of them “ESOPs” would obscure material differences in purchase price, vesting and eligibility [S1][S2][S3].
Option activity and pool diagnostics — FY2025
Vesting mechanics — ratable four-year illustration
Illustrative four-year ratable schedule: options typically vest over 4–5 years with the majority ratable over four, and employee RSUs are generally ratable over four years. Director RSUs vest immediately, XSPP matching shares vest after one year, and the CEO premium-price LTIP tranche carries a five-year cliff [S1][S3].
Eligibility by crosswalk level
| Level | ESPP | XSPP | Options / RSUs | Disclosed evidence | Frequency / vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AZ-1 – AZ-8 US employees | Eligible after six months, subject to plan limits | No | No routine band entitlement publicly disclosed; committee may select recipients | Not publicly disclosed | ESPP quarterly purchase cycle; one-year holding |
| AZ-9 VP | ESPP; may instead / also use executive plan subject to rules | Eligible after six months | Discretionary eligibility under Omnibus plan; no typical VP grant table disclosed | Not publicly disclosed | XSPP participant election; matching shares vest after one year |
| AZ-10 SVP | Eligible | Eligible | Annual options documented for named executives | FY2025 Jaycox: 2,917 options, grant-date fair value US$3.300m | Regular grants normally first fiscal quarter; performance / retention and continued service |
| AZ-11 EVP / CFO / COO | Eligible | Eligible | Annual options | FY2025 Jackson / Newbern: 4,597 each, fair value US$5.200m; Hackney 4,456, US$5.041m | Typically four-year ratable option vesting unless grant terms differ |
| AZ-12 CEO | Eligible | Eligible | Annual options, including premium-price LTIP tranche | FY2025 Daniele: 6,328 options, grant-date fair value US$7.199m | 75% ordinary option structure plus 25% premium-price / five-year-cliff structure |
| Board | Not applicable | Not applicable | Annual retainer may be elected as immediately vested RSUs | All directors elected RSUs for 2025 | Annual retainer; settlement may be deferred |
FY2026 activity to 9 May 2026 — first 36 weeks
| Activity | Shares | Price / fair value | Aggregate | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Options granted | 119,235 | Grant-date fair value US$1,265.06 per option | US$150.839m / ₹1,439.31cr | Accounting fair value, not intrinsic value |
| Options exercised | 54,837 | Exercise price US$1,092.99 | US$59.9m exercise cost | Does not equal proceeds realised on sale |
| Employee RSUs granted | 2,267 | Fair value US$3,788.99 | US$8.590m / ₹81.96cr | Employee RSUs generally vest ratably over four years |
| RSUs vested | 2,828 | Weighted grant-date fair value US$2,694.23 | US$7.62m grant-date value | Directors’ awards may vest immediately |
| Share-based compensation expense | — | — | US$97.6m | First 36 weeks FY2026; prior-year comparable US$85.6m |
Unrecognised expense at 9 May 2026 was US$165.7m for options over a weighted 2.9 years and US$8.6m for RSUs over 2.7 years [S2]. At the US$3,040.47 reference price of 25 August 2026, US$1m of grant value is roughly 329 shares — a reminder that AutoZone’s high share price makes option counts look small.
Current-value caution
The ordinary FY2025 named-executive grants had an exercise price of US$3,129.78. At the report’s US$3,040.47 share-price reference those options had zero intrinsic value despite substantial grant-date accounting fair value. Option grant value, current intrinsic value and ultimate realised value must not be conflated [S3][S30].
The ESPP is disclosed for eligible US employees; ESPP availability, equity tax withholding and any purchase-plan access for Mexico, Brazil, India, China or Türkiye employees are not publicly disclosed and should be confirmed in writing.
Executive Compensation — FY2025
FY2025 Summary Compensation Table values from the 2025 proxy are grant-date accounting values, not cash received. Philip B. Daniele is President & CEO; his FY2025 base was US$1.0m with a 130% annual-incentive target, and roughly three quarters of reported pay was option grant-date value.
Option-value warning
The ordinary FY2025 named-executive grants had an exercise price of US$3,129.78. At the report’s US$3,040.47 share-price reference those options had zero intrinsic value despite substantial grant-date accounting fair value. Option grant value, current intrinsic value and ultimate realised value must not be conflated [S3][S30].
| FY2026 base salary | US$1.2m — raised 20% from US$1.0m |
| Annual incentive target | 130% of salary, maintained for FY2026 |
| Option target | Increased by about 20% for FY2026 |
| Peer-group positioning | Target cash ~31st percentile; target total ~35th percentile |
The 2025 proxy positioned the CEO’s target cash and target total compensation below the median of AutoZone’s peer group while keeping the option-heavy mix [S3].
AutoZone’s CEO total was close to Advance Auto Parts, above O’Reilly Automotive and below Genuine Parts in the compared disclosures. Ratios are not perfectly comparable because workforce mix, part-time prevalence, fiscal years and median-employee methodologies differ [S3][S18][S19][S20].
Named Executive Officers & Board
FY2025 Summary Compensation Table totals for the five named executive officers, plus non-employee director pay. Annual-incentive targets ran from 60% of salary at SVP to 130% for the CEO, and every NEO’s largest component was the grant-date value of annual option awards.
All values are FY2025 Summary Compensation Table values; option awards are grant-date accounting fair value, not cash realised. INR equivalents at ₹95.42: Daniele ₹91.95cr, Jackson ₹65.77cr, Newbern ₹65.75cr, Hackney ₹56.98cr, Jaycox ₹40.88cr [S3].
Non-employee director pay policy
| Annual director retainer | US$270,000 |
| Lead director | +US$35,000 |
| Audit Committee Chair | +US$30,000 |
| Audit Committee member | +US$15,000 |
| Compensation Committee Chair | +US$25,000 |
| Nominating / Governance Chair | +US$20,000 |
| Board Chair retainer | +US$250,000 from January 2026 |
Non-employee director compensation — FY2025
| Director | FY2025 total |
|---|---|
| Michael George | $285,000 |
| Linda Goodspeed | $300,000 |
| Earl Graves | $290,000 |
| Brian Hannasch | $305,000 |
| Gale King | $270,000 |
| Claire McDonough | $198,300 |
| George Mrkonic Jr. | $310,000 |
| Jill Soltau | $270,000 |
| Constantino Spas | $169,400 |
There were no meeting fees. All directors elected to receive 2025 compensation in immediately vested RSUs. INR equivalents range from ₹1.62cr (Spas) to ₹2.96cr (Mrkonic) [S3].
Stock ownership guidelines
Current disclosed leadership and other officers
AutoZone’s US proxy framework discloses named executive officers rather than Indian “KMP” terminology. CFO, COO and selected EVP / SVP compensation is included above. Compensation for CHRO, CTO, General Counsel, Company Secretary-equivalent or regional heads is not publicly disclosed individually unless the person is a named executive officer for the relevant year. Current roster changes: Eric Gould promoted 25 Aug 2025 on William Hackney’s retirement (effective 7 Nov 2025); Eric Leef succeeded Rick Smith as SVP Human Resources in January 2026 [S15][S29].
Insider Filings — SEC Forms 4
AutoZone is NYSE-listed, so SEC Section 16 filings — not BSE/NSE, SEBI or SAST disclosures — record insider transactions. Prices are rounded as reported; option-grant values are strike-value exposure, not grant-date fair value.
| Date | Person | Transaction | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-07 | Dennis W. LeRiche SVP | Option exercise Exercise cost; ₹14.73cr [S16] | 1,455 | $1100.00 | $1.5M |
| 2026-08-07 | Dennis W. LeRiche SVP | Sale Same-day sale; ₹43.04cr; pre-tax spread ~US$2.967m (₹28.31cr) [S16] | 1,455 | $3100.00 | $4.5M |
| 2026-03-31 | Philip B. Daniele President & CEO | XSPP purchase ₹32.2L [S17] | 10 | $3400.00 | $33.8K |
| 2026-03-31 | Philip B. Daniele President & CEO | XSPP matched shares Company matching shares; vest after one year [S17] | 2 | — | — |
| 2025-12-31 | Philip B. Daniele President & CEO | XSPP purchase ₹42.1L | 13 | $3400.00 | $44.1K |
| 2025-12-31 | Philip B. Daniele President & CEO | XSPP matched shares Company matching shares | 2 | — | — |
| 2025-12-31 | Jamere Jackson EVP & CFO | XSPP purchase ₹6.5L | 2 | $3400.00 | $6.8K |
| 2025-12-22 | Thomas B. Newbern EVP & COO | Gift to trust Estate-planning transfer; no consideration | 44 | — | — |
| 2025-10-10 | Thomas B. Newbern EVP & COO | Option grant Strike-value exposure (₹157.45cr), not grant-date fair value | 4,049 | $4100.00 | $16.5M |
Reading guide
Benefits & Perks
AutoZone’s proxy, 10-K and careers pages disclose US benefit categories and a few exact terms — the 401(k) match, ESPP and XSPP limits, charitable-match caps — but not PTO days, employer premium shares or parental-leave duration. Outside the US, statutory baselines are shown separately and must not be mistaken for AutoZone plan design.
United States
- 401(k). Eligible from day one; company match 100% of the first 3% plus 50% of the next 2%, maximum 4%; immediate 100% vesting. Company contributions US$42.7m FY2025, US$39.0m FY2024, US$37.3m FY2023 [S1][S3].
- ESPP. Up to the lower of 10% of compensation or US$15,000; 15% discount; quarterly lookback; one-year holding. Eligible US employees after six months [S3].
- XSPP. Up to 25% of eligible compensation; market purchase plus matched shares creating an effective 15% discount. VP+ after six months; purchased shares one-year hold; matches vest after one year [S3].
- Health. Medical, dental and vision; postings reference BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee or Kaiser in California, a CVS prescription programme and HSA / HRA / FSA. Plan and provider vary by state and employment class; employer contribution not public [S6].
- Life / disability. Life insurance for US employees; disability programme disclosed for VP+; up to 12 weeks salary continuation after death. Eligibility varies [S3].
- Employee discount. 20% employee discount referenced in postings; exact exclusions and eligibility not fully disclosed [S6].
- Education. Tuition reimbursement referenced in careers material; limits and approved programmes not public [S6].
- Charitable match. US$500 for US full- and part-time employees; US$10,000 for VPs; US$50,000 for Executive Committee members, as annual limits [S3].
- Executive perquisites. Home security, airline club / status, spouse business travel and long-term disability premiums, under named-executive or approved business-use conditions [S3].
- Not disclosed. PTO days, employer medical premium percentages, parental-leave duration, commuter benefit and EAP details were not sufficiently disclosed in reviewed public sources.
Global development, flexibility and wellbeing
- Learning and certification. Learning platform vendor and certification reimbursement limits were not publicly disclosed at sufficient specificity.
- Ways of working. Hybrid-work policy, formal internal rotation and sabbatical terms are not publicly disclosed.
- Wellness / EAP. Global wellness and EAP terms are not publicly disclosed.
- Careers. Tuition reimbursement and internal career opportunities are visible in US careers material, but not as a global uniform policy [S6].
- Markets without presence. No AutoZone employee population was substantiated for Australia, the UK, New Zealand or Singapore. Istanbul is a disclosed sourcing / support office, but employee benefit details were not disclosed. Generic country benefits are not shown as though they were AutoZone plans.
Evidence rule
Country legal baselines — Mexican aguinaldo and PTU, Brazilian FGTS and 13th salary, Indian EPF and maternity leave — define floors or mandatory systems, not AutoZone benefits. Ask for employer cost versus employee deduction, waiting periods, dependent coverage, PTO accrual, leave classification, equity tax withholding and ESPP country availability in writing.
Performance Review & Pay Progression
The executive cycle is filed in the proxy; the employee rating system is not. Career-progression timings are an experience model for planning, and promotion increases are not publicly disclosed for any transition.
Filed executive cycle
| Stage | Timing / mechanism | Public status |
|---|---|---|
| MIP measurement | Annual cash payout measured over the fiscal year on Economic Profit, EBIT and ROIC, after committee certification | Filed [S3] |
| Option grants | Regular annual option grants normally in the first fiscal quarter; FY2025 NEO grants dated around 10 Oct 2025 | Filed [S3] |
| Individual modifier (through FY2024) | Score 1 = no payout; 2 = −20%; 3 = no adjustment; 4 = +20%; 5 = +30% on the corporate MIP result | Filed; removed for FY2025 [S3][S4] |
| Ownership guidelines | CEO 6×, CFO / COO 4×, EVP 3×, SVP 2× base salary; directors 7× cash retainer | Filed [S3] |
Employee rating system — not publicly disclosed
Employee discussions refer to Rewards Performance Management (RPM), with review / raise decisions around September and pay changes around October, but this is anecdotal and may vary by role or region. Public employee reports on typical raises range from cents per hour to low-single-digit percentages and conflict too much for a reliable corporate estimate. No credible evidence supports a corporate bell curve or forced-ranking assertion.
Career-progression planning model
| Transition | Typical time in level | Evidence / signal |
|---|---|---|
| AZ-1 → AZ-2 | 1–2 years | Experience model only |
| AZ-2 → AZ-3 | 1–3 years | Experience model only |
| AZ-3 → AZ-4 | 2–4 years | Experience model only |
| AZ-4 → AZ-5 | 2–4 years | Experience model only |
| AZ-5 → AZ-6 | 3–5 years | Experience model only |
| AZ-6 → AZ-7 | 3–5 years | Experience model only |
| AZ-7 → AZ-8 | 3–6 years | Experience model only |
| AZ-8 → AZ-9 | 3–7 years | Experience model only |
| AZ-9 → AZ-10 | Role / vacancy dependent | Officer appointment |
| AZ-10 → AZ-11 | Role / vacancy dependent | Executive succession |
| AZ-11 → AZ-12 | Board appointment | CEO succession |
Timings are an experience model, not AutoZone band-progression data. Typical promotion hike is not publicly disclosed for any transition. Lateral-versus-internal gaps are not quantifiable: public sources provide no matched cohorts, and anonymous claims of compression or low raises are insufficient for a numerical conclusion.
Individual modifier and governance
No probation / confirmation rules by geography were found in public materials. Through FY2024 named executives received an individual performance score from 1 to 5 that could reduce or increase the corporate MIP result; AutoZone eliminated this modifier for FY2025, leaving the MIP driven by company performance [S3][S4].
H-1B Footprint
AutoZone is a modest, steady H-1B sponsor concentrated on Memphis technology roles — 65 LCAs in FY2026 to 18 August, 76 in FY2025 — with no denials across four fiscal years. Disclosed wages are base pay only and exclude bonus, ESPP value and benefits.
Annual filing history
| Period | LCAs | Approved | Denied | Avg offered | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 to 18 Aug 2026 | 65 | 33 | 0 | NPD | 20 PERM applications; average not yet reported |
| FY2025 | 76 | 67 | 0 | $126.3K | ₹1.21cr |
| FY2024 | 70 | 61 | 0 | $119.2K | ₹1.14cr |
| FY2023 | 65 | 60 | 1 | $127.5K | ₹1.22cr |
LCA volume by fiscal year
Disclosed salary distribution
| Dataset | P25 | Median | P75 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 public LCA records — analytical | ~US$111k / ₹105.9L | US$125k / ₹119.3L | ~US$140k / ₹133.6L | Approximate percentiles from 77 H1Bdata records; not published by AutoZone [S13] |
| FY2026 H1BGrader | Not displayed | US$121,306 / ₹115.7L | Below US$140k | Method and date differ from the 2024 record set [S14] |
| FY2025 MyVisaJobs | — | Average US$126,333 / ₹120.5L | — | Average, not median [S12] |
Titles by filing count
Worksites
| Worksite | Records | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis, Tennessee | 188 cumulative records | Dominant worksite — headquarters / support-centre concentration |
| Liberty Hill TX · Edison NJ · Delaware OH · Avon OH · Little Elm TX | Generally 2–3 each | Do not infer local medians from tiny samples |
Reading the data correctly
- Third-party aggregators use Department of Labor LCA data and USCIS petition outcomes but apply different date and employer-name filters, so counts differ. The MyVisaJobs series is used for continuity and cross-checked against H1Bdata / H1BGrader [S12][S13][S14][S23].
- An LCA is not the same as an approved petition or a unique employee; the FY2026 snapshot of 18 August 2026 showed 65 LCAs, 20 PERM applications and 33 H-1B petitions with 33 approvals and no denials.
- MyVisaJobs reports 76 certified FY2025 LCAs and an average offered salary of US$126,333, while another aggregator reports 72 LCAs and a median around US$115,000. Likely reasons include fiscal-year definitions, amended / withdrawn cases, legal-entity matching and mean-versus-median. The discrepancy is preserved rather than averaged.
- Disclosed wages are base pay and exclude bonus, ESPP value and benefits.
Key Nuances
What distinguishes AutoZone pay: a filed, option-heavy executive model sitting on top of an undisclosed employee band architecture, a store-hours-driven MIP, a 15%-discount ESPP with no broad RSU programme, and a Gurugram presence that is real but opaque.
About 91% of employees are in stores / direct field supervision and roughly 40% of the workforce is part-time. AutoZone’s US$29,017 median is therefore not comparable to a corporate-tech median [S1][S3].
Roughly three quarters of CEO FY2025 reported pay was option grant-date value. Current intrinsic value can be zero even when the accounting award value was large.
AutoZone explicitly charges 10.5% for capital, so executive payout reflects both profit and capital efficiency rather than revenue growth alone [S3].
US employees can access discounted ESPP purchases, while recurring option grants are publicly visible at senior-executive levels. A broad free-RSU entitlement by band is not disclosed.
XSPP, EDCP and certain executive benefits begin at Vice President, making AZ-9 a structural break even though base-salary bands are not public [S3].
Gurugram pay samples are technology-heavy and cannot be generalized to AutoZone’s store hierarchy [S1][S7].
Observed Gurugram software / systems engineer ranges of roughly ₹21L–36L equate to about US$22k–38k; US software / systems engineering evidence is roughly US$95k–157k. The raw US / India ratio is around 2.5×–7.1× depending on role and endpoint, before benefits, equity and job-scope differences — an external benchmark ratio, not an internal equal-level multiplier.
933 stores at Q3 FY2026, far more than Brazil’s 157, but city-level headcount and standardised band pay remain undisclosed [S2].
Public sources do not provide matched cohorts. Anonymous claims of compression or low raises are insufficient for a numerical conclusion.
The research did not identify a recent transformative merger that created legacy grade systems requiring reconciliation.
Outstanding options divided by outstanding options plus remaining shares produces 36.4%, but this is not an official pool-utilisation metric and can be distorted by award accounting and plan mechanics.
Australia, UK, NZ and Singapore should not receive fabricated AutoZone salary pages. The location-aware implementation instead shows a sourced “no disclosed presence” state.
AutoZone technology medians differ across Levels.fyi, Glassdoor and Indeed because samples, dates, titles and total-comp definitions differ. The report preserves ranges rather than forcing a false single number.
Guidelines are six times base salary for the CEO, four times for CFO / COO, three times for EVPs, two times for SVPs and seven times the cash retainer for directors [S3].
Peer-positioning conclusion
AutoZone is a US-listed automotive-parts retailer, not an India-listed IT-services company; its disclosed operating markets are the United States, Mexico and Brazil. Against auto-parts peers its FY2025 CEO total of US$9.636m sat close to Advance Auto Parts (US$9.122m), above O’Reilly Automotive (US$4.231m) and below Genuine Parts (US$12.863m), with a 331:1 pay ratio that matches Genuine Parts and sits between O’Reilly (128:1) and Advance (358:1). The 2025 proxy placed the CEO’s target cash and target total compensation around the 31st and 35th percentiles of AutoZone’s own peer group.
Evidence classes used in this report
| Label | Meaning | Permitted use |
|---|---|---|
| Disclosed | AutoZone filing, proxy, official careers page or SEC ownership filing | Exact plan terms, executives, employee count, stores, equity activity |
| Observed benchmark | Current posting or salary aggregator | Role-level external range; not a guaranteed band |
| Statutory baseline | Government / legal requirement | Minimum country context; not an AutoZone enhancement |
| Analytical crosswalk / model | Report-derived band mapping, midpoint, conversion or ratio | Comparison and page visualisation only |
| Not publicly disclosed | No sufficiently reliable source located | Must remain null / N/A in code |
Data-quality log
| Topic | Observed conflict | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Technology medians | Levels.fyi, Glassdoor and Indeed medians differ because samples, dates, titles and total-comp definitions differ | Ranges preserved; no single number forced |
| District manager | Indeed / Zippia / ZipRecruiter central estimates US$79.8k–106.9k inside a US$47k–154k reported range | Central estimates shown with the wide range noted |
| Company average pay | Comparably’s average is skewed toward sampled corporate roles versus the disclosed US$29,017 median | Not reconciled; disclosed median used |
| H-1B counts | 76 vs 72 FY2025 LCAs; US$126,333 average vs ~US$115,000 median across aggregators | MyVisaJobs series used for continuity; discrepancy stated |
| Brazil and India samples | Brazil “manager” spans R$48k–220k; India data scientist spans ₹6L–33L on unusually broad samples | Shown as dispersion, not a single band |
| Hourly store roles | Many store jobs are part-time; annualisation at 2,080 hours overstates expected earnings | FTE conversions labelled as comparisons only |
Not-publicly-disclosed inventory
| Requested item | Finding |
|---|---|
| Official global bands | Not disclosed; AZ-1–AZ-12 is an analytical crosswalk |
| Salary L/M/H for every level and city | Not disclosed; only US crosswalk plus observed role benchmarks in Mexico, Brazil and Gurugram |
| Non-executive variable-pay formula and payout history | Not disclosed; AZ-1–AZ-9 rates are modeled ranges |
| ESPP participation / utilisation | Not disclosed |
| Grant sizes by non-officer band | Not disclosed; committee discretion |
| Attrition | Not disclosed at any cadence |
| Country medical-insurance cost sharing and global leave tables | Not disclosed |
| Rating distribution and promotion-hike percentages | Not disclosed |
| Lateral-versus-internal matched pay | Not disclosed |
| Regional-head / CHRO / CTO / General Counsel compensation | Not disclosed unless an NEO |
| Australia pay and benefits | Not applicable — no disclosed presence |
| PTO, parental leave, commuter benefit, EAP (US) | Not sufficiently disclosed |
Implementation decisions
- The requested default “Bangalore” was changed to Gurugram because Gurugram is the disclosed Indian support centre; Bangalore is not substantiated.
- Unsupported Australia is included as an explicit N/A state. UK, NZ and Singapore are not represented as active AutoZone locations.
- Country compensation sections render only for the selected location. Shanghai, Istanbul and Australia display disclosure limitations instead of synthetic market pay.
- Conversions use ₹95.42, MX$16.95, R$5.14 and A$1.399 per US$1 at the 25 August 2026 market close; AUD is displayed only for N/A context.
FX rates used — 1 USD equals, planning rates as of 2026-08-25
USD is the primary currency because AutoZone reports and files in USD. INR figures are presented for planning and use the report’s ₹95.42 per USD rate; MXN and BRL conversions use the fixed planning rates above. Exchange rates move, so re-run any converted figure at the time of a decision.
Source register — 30 sources
| S1 | AutoZone FY2025 Form 10-K (fiscal year 30 Aug 2025; filed 24 Oct 2025) — employees, footprint, stores, 401(k), equity-plan accounting, option activity and plan reserve |
| S2 | AutoZone Q3 FY2026 Form 10-Q (quarter ended 9 May 2026; filed 12 Jun 2026) — latest footprint and FY2026 option / RSU activity |
| S3 | AutoZone 2025 Definitive Proxy (17 Dec 2025 meeting) — executive pay, MIP, equity grants, board pay, benefits, ownership guidelines and pay ratio |
| S4 | AutoZone 2024 Definitive Proxy — FY2024 MIP design and payout history |
| S5 | AutoZone 2023 Definitive Proxy — FY2023 MIP design and payout history |
| S6 | AutoZone careers (careers.autozone.com, Aug 2026) — job postings and benefit summaries |
| S7 | AutoZone India careers — Gurugram support-centre evidence and India roles |
| S8 | Levels.fyi — AutoZone (Aug 2026) — technology and corporate benchmarks |
| S9 | Glassdoor — AutoZone salaries (Aug 2026) — crowdsourced US and country role ranges |
| S10 | Indeed — AutoZone salaries (Aug 2026) — retail, district-manager and role benchmarks |
| S11 | PayScale — AutoZone (Aug 2026) — store-manager and company benchmarks |
| S12 | MyVisaJobs — AutoZone (updated 18 Aug 2026) — LCA, I-129, PERM, titles, worksite and approval data |
| S13 | H1Bdata.info — AutoZone 2024 disclosure set — LCA salary records for percentile analysis |
| S14 | H1BGrader — AutoZone FY2026 — median and percentile cross-check |
| S15 | AutoZone leadership page (Aug 2026) — current roster and title changes |
| S16 | SEC Form 4 — Dennis W. LeRiche (filed 10 Aug 2026; transactions 7 Aug 2026) |
| S17 | SEC Form 4 — Philip B. Daniele (filed 2 Apr 2026; transactions 31 Mar 2026) |
| S18 | O’Reilly Automotive 2026 proxy — peer CEO pay and pay ratio |
| S19 | Advance Auto Parts 2026 proxy — peer CEO pay and pay ratio |
| S20 | Genuine Parts 2026 proxy — peer CEO pay and pay ratio |
| S21 | Reuters currency market report, 25 Aug 2026 — INR/USD cross-check (₹95.42) |
| S22 | Trading Economics currency quotes, 25 Aug 2026 — MXN, BRL and AUD cross-checks |
| S23 | US Department of Labor H-1B disclosure data — primary basis behind third-party aggregators |
| S24 | India EPFO contribution guidance — statutory 12% / 12% EPF baseline |
| S25 | Mexico Federal Labor Law / PROFEDET guidance — vacation, premium, aguinaldo and PTU baselines |
| S26 | Brazil government labour guidance — FGTS, vacation plus one-third and 13th-salary baselines |
| S27 | AutoZone Form 8-K, 16 Jun 2026 — additional US$1.5bn repurchase authorization |
| S28 | AutoZone Form 8-K, 14 Jul 2026 — US$850m 4.950% senior notes due 2031 |
| S29 | AutoZone organizational changes release, 28 Aug 2025 — Hackney retirement, Gould promotion, Leef appointment |
| S30 | AZO market-price history (Yahoo Finance), 25 Aug 2026 close — US$3,040.47 share-price reference |
Recent News & Compensation Signals
Dated events in the eighteen months to 26 August 2026 that bear on pay: quarterly results that feed MIP economics, the December 2025 proxy vote, CEO pay decisions, equity-pool authorisation and store expansion.
No verified company-wide pay freeze, salary cut or public average-hike announcement was located for the two years preceding the report date. AutoZone does not disclose quarterly attrition, LTM attrition or a broad annual employee-turnover metric.
Items specifically investigated but not publicly established
| Requested item | Research conclusion, 26 Aug 2026 | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pay freeze / salary cut | No verified company-wide pay freeze or salary cut located for the two years preceding the report date. | Not found |
| Average annual hike | No public average-hike announcement; employee reports range from cents per hour to low-single-digit percentages. | Not disclosed |
| Attrition | Quarterly attrition, LTM attrition and broad annual turnover are not disclosed. | Not disclosed |
| Campus-offer revisions / delayed joining | Not relevant to the disclosed operating model and not identified. | Not applicable |