Tesco vs Sainsbury’s Graduate Scheme 2027: Which Should You Apply To

Tesco and Sainsbury’s are the two retail graduate employers most people compare, and in November 2026 they are in very different positions. Our Tesco graduate scheme 2027 guide shows live listings with an apply-by date of 22 December 2026 and published salaries. Our Sainsbury’s graduate scheme 2027 guide shows FutureMaker closed for the 2026 intake and no 2027 date announced. This Tesco vs Sainsbury’s graduate scheme 2027 comparison uses only what each company publishes, and labels anything else as reported or not published. Checked 9 November 2026.

The single biggest difference

Tesco is the one you can apply to today and the one that tells you what it pays. Sainsbury’s is the one you can only prepare for: you can register your interest, but there is no opening date and no salary on its early-careers page. If you want to apply this autumn, Tesco is the only choice of the two. If you want a two-year scheme with three eight-month rotations and are happy to wait, Sainsbury’s FutureMaker is worth being ready for.

Tesco vs Sainsbury’s graduate scheme 2027 at a glance

Sources: Tesco careers site listings read on 30 October 2026, and Sainsbury’s early-careers page read on 24 October 2026. Re-check both before you apply.

Salary and pay: Tesco vs Sainsbury’s

This is where the two differ most. Tesco publishes a number for each scheme: £33,500 for Retail, £33,000 for Product and for Booker finance, and £40,000 for Technology – Programme Management. Its listings also state an annual bonus of up to 10% of base salary and 25 days holiday plus a personal day. Sainsbury’s early-careers page does not publish a graduate salary, so we do not quote one. Third-party sites quote figures for FutureMaker, but we have not verified them against Sainsbury’s own page and will not print them as fact. For context on what these numbers mean, see our guide to graduate salaries.

What the job actually looks like

Tesco’s Retail scheme starts in store, moves through operations and ends with the aim that you can run a store. Tesco warns you may need to relocate after six months and again after your first year. Its Product scheme rotates across buying and merchandising for Home and Clothing, including the F&F brand. Sainsbury’s FutureMaker is built around three eight-month rotations, with tracks from store support and logistics to data, design, technology and Argos. Both ask for a customer-first attitude and clear communication; neither lists a fixed number of stages on the pages we read, so stages are Not published for both.

A word from people doing the job: we looked for a named Tesco or Sainsbury’s graduate quote we could verify and link, and did not find one we can attribute with confidence. Rather than print an unverified quote, we link to the official sources above. A named quote will be added when we can source it. In the meantime, The Grocer’s report on the first FutureMaker cohort is the best independent account of how Sainsbury’s describes its scheme.

Application process and deadlines

Tesco: choose the scheme on its listing and use the Apply button, which goes to the Tesco early careers portal. The apply-by date on all four listings we read is 22 December 2026, and schemes may close early, so do not wait for the last week. Sainsbury’s: there is nothing to apply for right now. Use the Register your interest option on the early-careers page so the opening email reaches you. For a wider view of dates, see our graduate scheme deadlines calendar, and for what online tests usually involve, our online tests guide.

Benefits

Tesco’s Tesco-branded listings state up to 10% annual bonus, 25 days holiday plus a personal day, 26 weeks of maternity and adoption leave at full pay after one year’s service, six weeks of fully paid paternity leave, a free virtual GP service and about 60% of the week in the office. The Booker listing names colleague discounts, share schemes, a matched pension and life assurance. Sainsbury’s early-careers page describes mentor and buddy support and help applying for a permanent role at the end; it does not list a salary, bonus or holiday figure for graduates, so those are Not published.

Tesco vs Sainsbury’s graduate scheme 2027: which should you apply to?

Apply to Tesco if you want a clear salary, a start date you can plan around and a scheme that is open now. Choose its Technology scheme if you want the highest published pay (£40,000), or Retail if you want the most conventional route to running a store. Wait for Sainsbury’s if you want the breadth of nine tracks and a structured two-year rotation, and you can live with no published pay. Nothing stops you doing both: apply to Tesco now and register with Sainsbury’s. Browse the rest of the market on the graduate scheme hub, or compare Sainsbury’s with another retailer in our Marks and Spencer vs Sainsbury’s comparison.

FAQ

Is the Tesco graduate scheme open for 2027?

Yes. The listings we read give an apply-by date of 22 December 2026 for a start on 6 September 2027, and say schemes may close early.

Is the Sainsbury’s graduate scheme open?

No. FutureMaker was closed on our 24 October 2026 check and the 2027 opening date is Not published. You can register your interest on the early-careers page.

Which pays more, Tesco or Sainsbury’s?

Only Tesco publishes pay: £33,000 to £40,000 depending on the scheme. Sainsbury’s does not publish a graduate salary on its early-careers page, so a like-for-like comparison is not possible from official sources.

What degree do I need?

Tesco Retail asks for a predicted or achieved 2:2. Sainsbury’s asks for a 2:2 in any subject on its Support Functions and Argos Commercial tracks, and a 2:2 in a STEM subject for Data Science.

Can I apply to both?

Yes, but only Tesco is open now. Register with Sainsbury’s so you are told when its window opens.