About half of Hard Rock International’s (HRI) 20,000 U.S. employees and thousands more Seminole Gaming employees in Florida are set to receive wage increases in October. It’s part of a $100 million investment announced Sept. 12 to help workers cope with the rising cost of living.

The Seminole Tribe is the parent entity of HRI and Seminole Gaming.

The pay increases apply to non-tipped U.S. employees and new hires at hotel, casino and cafe locations nationwide within 95 job classifications, including cooks, housekeepers, security, public space and call center personnel and others.

For some employees, it represents a starting wage increase of more than 60 percent, the release said. The new starting wages (with some exceptions) range between $18 and $21 an hour – significantly higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour and higher than any state’s minimum wage. 

An entry-level employee in Florida, for example, would receive between $8 and $11 per hour above the state’s current $10 per hour minimum wage, the release said. The hourly rate increase for full time employees equates to more than $16,000 per year above the state’s minimum wage.

HRI said the investment is part of an effort to “honor and appreciate its workforce,” which recently included paying employees bonuses during the pandemic and offering expanded benefits. It also places HRI and Seminole Gaming as two of the most competitive entities in the gaming and hospitality industry for pay.

“My career has encompassed over four decades and I have never been involved in such a historic event,” Jim Allen, HRI chairman and CEO of Seminole Gaming, said in the release. “The support the Seminole Tribe of Florida has given me to enhance the standard of living for so many people is a dream come true. We have changed people’s lives and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

HRI operates venues in 70 countries with 265 locations, while Seminole Gaming operates six casino locations in Florida – including its flagship location, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood.