NEW ORLEANS - More than 33,000 Walmart associates in Louisiana will receive a pay raise by their Mar. 10 paycheck. The increases are a part of the company’s two-year $2.7 billion investment in higher pay, better training and education opportunities for its workers.

The Mar. 10 paycheck for eligible Louisiana associates will include a share of more than $5.4 million of bonuses.

“This new pay structure is already improving the lives of Walmart associates,”  Gay Clark, department manager of Walmart store #270, said.

Walmart U.S and Sam’s Club promoted over 5,000 associates with higher pay and over 3,000 were converted from part-time to full-time.

This month’s pay changes include:

- All associates hired before Jan. 1, 2016 will earn at least $10/hour.
- New entry-level associates hired after Jan. 1 will continue to start at $9/hour and will move to at least $10/hour after completing the company training program.
- Associates already earning more than $10/hour will see their annual pay increase starting in March rather than waiting until their anniversary date.
- Walmart is raising the starting rate of its non-entry level hourly pay bands. Anyone earning below the new minimum will automatically move up to the new minimum.
- Associates at or above their pay band maximum will receive a one-time lump sum payment equal to 2 percent of their annual pay.