How Old Do You Have to Be to Start Working at Costco?

What is the minimum age to work at Costco?

The minimum age to work at Costco in the United States is 18 years old. Several Costco positions are entry-level and require no previous working experience or degrees (beyond a high school diploma). Someone who just graduated from high school can apply to one of these jobs and have a realistic chance at getting it. The minimum working age requirement in the US is 14 years old. According to the US Department of Labor, minors are limited in the number of hours they can work and are restricted from operating heavy machinery. But adults 18 and over can work as many hours and perform whatever duties Costco sees fit.

What is the starting pay at Costco?

The minimum starting pay for entry-level positions at Costco is $19.50/hr. However, some positions at Costco pay more! Employees who work in positions above entry level, such as bakers and clerks, are paid a minimum of $20.50/hr. Positions that require a higher-level education and experience, like pharmacy managers, can make as much as $218,569/yr. Costco salaries also vary by state. In Colorado, for example, the highest salary a registered Costco pharmacist can receive is $77.90/hr. In California, the same position earns as much as $84.82/hr.

Entry-Level Positions at Costco (No Experience Required)

Bakery Wrapper The Wrapper is responsible for wrapping, labeling, garnishing, and stocking goods made and sold in the Bakery section of Costco.

Cashier Assistant In this position, you'll greet Costco customers at the checkout line and pack their groceries for them while the Cashier rings up their total. You'll also run for items, restock merchandise, retrieve carts, and clean up in the store.

Food Service Assistant This job requires preparing and selling food and beverages to customers at the Costco Food Court. It also involves stocking supplies and ingredients, as well as cleaning up both the kitchen and customer eating areas.

Maintenance Assistant This is a janitorial position. It involves cleaning and maintaining the Costco warehouse and the surrounding grounds, cleaning up trash, and dealing with spills and messes throughout the store.

Stocker A Costco Stocker is someone who stocks the shelves, arranges merchandise, cleans the aisles as needed, and answers customers when they ask where to find a particular item or aisle.

Costco Employee Benefits

Full-time and part-time Costco employees receive a full benefits package. Their benefits include a health insurance plan, paid bonding leave, an employee stock purchase plan, a 401(k) plan, and Paid Time Off (PTO). Employees also gain access to career advancement programs like the ones listed below. Student Retention Program: Empowers college students to attend classes and not lose their job. Journeys For All program: Provides employees with education, mentoring, and connection opportunities. Supervisor in Training program: Enables entry-level employees to work up to higher positions and explore other departments. 12-Week Merchandising Training Course: Offers supervisor-level training to managers who don't have merchandising experience.

College students who work at Costco can apply for a scholarship. The Costco Employee Scholarship provides eligible employees with $2500 per academic year for up to 4 years of college.

Tenured employees receive bonuses twice a year. For college-age employees, this can help them pay more down on their tuition or a bigger expense, like a down payment on a

How long do employees work for Costco on average?

In the US, Costco employees tend to stay an average of 9 years. Around 60% of American Costco employees work for 5 years, and more than one-third have stayed on for a decade. The warehouse's impressive retention rate makes it a great place to start a long-lasting career in retail.

How to Apply for a Job at Costco

Search for Costco job openings on the Costco Careers website. Enter the state and city where you live or your zip code, and you'll see a list of open positions. Click "Apply" next to the one you're interested in, create a Costco Careers account (if you haven't already), and fill out the empty application fields with your information. If no positions are available through the Costco Careers portal, go to your local Costco Warehouse in-person and ask the manager if they're hiring.

Apply at a new Costco store at least 12 weeks before the opening date. At this point, the Costco will start getting ready to open and will want to begin training their new staff to perform well by the time the first customers start rolling in.

If you're a veteran, email your regional Costco representative. There are several different representatives across the country, in different states as well as different areas of those states. You can find their names and email addresses in the "Resources for Veterans" section of Costco's How to Apply page.

Stand out by introducing yourself to the Costco hiring manager. Costco says they receive hundreds of applications, and giving them a face to put with the name will better your odds of getting hired. Even if you're a high school graduate with little to no work experience, create a resume highlighting your accomplishments. Those can include a high school grade point average (GPA), any honors you received while in school, places you volunteered, and certifications you've obtained. This will show the hiring manager you have the drive and professionalism to be a good fit at Costco. After submitting your application online, walk into your local Costco and ask an employee if you can see their hiring manager

Reapply if you haven't heard from Costco after 90 days. Costco automatically deletes job applications after 90 days, so it's a good idea to keep applying if your first application isn't successful.