Just Out of Curiosity

I’m 30 years old. Got a Bachelor’s and in Grad School currently.

Have well over 10 years of work experience, with all of the positions I’ve done pretty much involving Customer Service skills. For example, nearly two years at Staples, nearly three years at T-Mobile, nearly two years as an Admissions counselor at a university, among various other roles. I was most recently working for the US Treasury for about five months before the federal layoffs happened following Trump’s re-entry into office.

In my efforts to find a job — even if just temporary — following the sudden separation from my job, I applied and immediately got hired by an HD in Illinois where I live for a Paint Associate position and they offered me $16.00 an hour. Is this a normal starting rate for someone with my experience? I understand it’s retail, but I can’t help but feel like that’s pretty low still.