I heard a similar question a few days ago in the break room. Lead pay varies store to store and location to location. Depending upon what your store net income is. A maxed out "lead" position varies department to department. Look up your contract to see what you fall under. I work in WA state and most of our QFC pay maxes out between $17-$22/hr. Most leads will qualify for journeyman pay after you work through the pay steps.