Norfolk, Va. – More than 1.2 million Walmart and Sam’s Club employees in the U.S., including 37,000 in the state of Virginia and over 8,400 in the Hampton Roads area, received a pay raise Thursday.

The increase is a part of the company’s two-year, $2.7 billion investment in higher pay, better training, educational opportunities and career paths for its workers.

Walmart associates across the country earned more than $550 million in bonuses, including over $20.4 million in Virginia. Associates are eligible for quarterly cash bonuses based on the performance of their store.

“I am very thankful to work for a company that values its employees. Walmart continues to invest in us and this pay raise is the most recent example of that investment”, said Nash Marrow, the Personnel Coordinator for Store #3216.

Walmart’s associate investment is designed to provides workers the skills, knowledge and tools they need to grow with the company. The corporation is also creating training programs to guide employees from entry-level positions to jobs with bigger responsibilities and higher pay.

Last year, Walmart and Sam’s Club promoted more than 200,000 associates, including over 7,600 in Virginia. Many employees moved to higher positions. In addition, more than 150,000 associates, including over 4,600 in Virginia were moved from part-time to full-time.