In-N-Out has always had a cult following. The burger chain is located mainly on the West Coast, but fans of the chain are nationwide.

So what has made the family chain, started in 1948 by Harry Snyder and Esther Snyder, become an underground sensation? Yes, they are known for burgers fresh off the grill and must-order shakes, but could it be the employees. In-N-Out has been known for its high customer service, which may be because they are well paid–by any fast food industry standards.

In-N-Out pays store managers an average of more than $160,000 a year.

“In-N-Out is just eons above everybody else,” Saru Jayaraman, director of UC Berkeley Food Research Center, told the California Sun. “On wages and benefits, they really are the best large chain.”

While the rest of fast food workers battled for an increase in the minimum wage, In-N-Out workers were already earning way above that. Employees there “can start at $13 an hour (minimum wage is $11 for California’s larger companies), and work their way up to that $160,000-ish salary without a college degree,” USA Today reported.

“Compare it to the average adult in the United States who does not have a high school diploma, and earns just over $20,000…These In-N-Out managers make more than the average salaries of lawyers, software engineers, and architects in California (about $115,000 for the first two professions; $112,000 for the architects),” Inc. reported.

The chain also doesn’t seem to overwork the staff. Responsibilities are divided up.

“Managers oversee only one location each, according to the Bay Area’s KTVU news, and ultimately become responsible for all aspects of the restaurant, from employee training to the cleanliness of counter tops,” USA Today reported.

In-N-Out Vice President of Operations Denny Warnick says the company has always felt you get quality work for quality pay.  In fact, it was the vision of the founders. “Paying their associates well was just one way to help maintain that focus, and those beliefs remain firmly in place with us today,” Warnick told the Sun.

In-N-Out can’t pay so well because the chain is still small–just 335 locations, versus the 37,000 McDonald’s locations in the country. Another factor, is that it is still privately owned.  And, In-N-Out takes quality control to a new level. Earlier this year the company temporarily closed down 37 stores in Texas because of buns.

In a statement, In-N-Out said: “At In-N-Out Burgers, we have always served the highest quality food with no compromise. We recently discovered that our buns in Texas do not meet the quality standards that we demand. There was and are no food safety concerns. We decided to close all of our Texas stores until we are confident that we can serve our normal high quality bun.”

When buns to their liking were available, In-N-Out reported the locations.

“Big public companies that have to answer to shareholders will always have an incentive to pay the lowest salaries they can get away with–assuming acceptable levels of turnover, product quality, customer satisfaction and the like.

So while other burger chains are looking for ways to get rid of workers by using robots, In-N-Out is still investing in its staff.

 

 

When living in southern california, you can see Samuel L Jackson at In n Out Burger and 20 minutes later see @blakeshelton at Gelsons. #Swaglife #MywifeLovesHim pic.twitter.com/xSqxE4qdyo

— Keith Wilson (@Promogenie) July 18, 2018

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