ORLANDO, Fla. – When Universal Studios opens its new Orlando theme park, the employees working there will earn at least $15 per hour.
Theme park officials announced the pay rate at Epic Universe during a news conference on Thursday, promising that workers at the 750-acre site will have their financial needs met.
Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts said the base rate will start at $15 per hour and go up from there. Universal currently offers its employees a starting rate of $12 per hour.
"So that's, that's our commitment to our to our employees, you know, nobody's twisting our arm do this. It's what we believe is appropriate," Roberts said.
The company expects to hire 14,000 employees to be placed in professional jobs, high-tech roles and many other positions. It's unclear when the Epic Universe will open, but when it does it will include shops, restaurants, rides and more.
"So our vision is a big one, we want to create a level of experience that, frankly, forever changes the theme park landscape as you know it today and over time as we unveil details about it, you're going to see that the layout is different, the concepts are different," Roberts said.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings believes the economic impact will expand beyond providing jobs to those who will work on the property.
"This new theme park will create many more employment opportunities throughout the entire region, including jobs and construction, skilled trades engineering and modeling and simulation," Demings said.
He's also excited about the prospect of Universal potentially doubling its state and local tax contribution, which already sits at more than $300 million, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis. That number doesn't include the $160 million the theme park giant is expected to invest into improving transportation and accessibility in the tourist district.
For more information about Epic Universe, click here.