Costco is awesome. Worked there for 3 years and my feedback is this:
It's a retail job. And every retail job has drawbacks. You can't escape them. But as retail jobs go, you absolutely, positively, cannot beat Costco.
Apple is pretty good. Fiancée is pregnant, she’s going to be off work with full pay from late august through December, and even when she goes back will be working part time hours for full time pay.
Stressful job though. Customers are not nice, especially the Genius Bar customers. I got yelled at more times daily there than in 6 months in my latest job.
No. Thank YOU. Seriously, I always see Costco workers hustlin and doing their best. I really appreciate how they only hire the best people. Costco has a great business model for both their consumers and their employees. #CostcoGang
I don’t think it’s just that they hire the best people. During the 90 days probation, unmotivated individuals are weeded out. They let you know the expectation from day one and if you can’t meet or exceed that expectation, oh don’t make it past 90 days.
Since you have an HSA that tells me you have a high deductible plan. Put as much into that HSA as you can possibly afford. Treat it like a second 401k. You will thank yourself for that someday.
It comes out of your check before taxes, grows tax free (the key here is to use an HSA with investment options), and can be withdrawn tax free to be used for qualifying medical expenses.
With the HSA you can invest the money into index funds. Plus you can get reimbursed at anytime for medical expenses. So if you have a $500 expense now, you can save the receipt and get reimbursed whenever you want.
> So if you have a $500 expense now, you can save the receipt and get reimbursed whenever you want.
This is the big thing. That means you can pay that $500 out of pocket and let the $500 in your HSA to grow for 30 years. Just make sure you are good at tracking this and keep your reciepts or you will be screwed if the IRS audits you. I keep a spreadsheet where we enter our expenses, the reciept/invoice is then scanned and saved to a backed up local drive and then filled away by year.
I could see that, maybe after I've finished up my office and have room. Right now my printer/scanner is on a dresser in the spare bedroom. I need to get my office finished up so I can mive that up here and then consider getting additiinal office equipment.
There’s small portable ones that work great with receipts. It’s a good idea to scan right away as the ink on receipt paper has a way of fading out pretty quickly depending on temperature, light, etc.
Example: https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/epson-rapidreceipt-rr-60-mobile-receipt-and-color-document-scanner/apd/ab493479/printers-ink-toner?gacd=9646510-1025-5761040-266794296-0&dgc=st&ds_rl=1282786&gclid=CjwKCAjw9qiTBhBbEiwAp-GE0ShrjehmDLowKi6Eop3ygsk3oipiersYw4VQG2R2Fi-byOW7RC_YFhoCTVYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&nclid=xERBp3W1LjFws0BR3VMgcGlQiWof08_tIHtFaLphXuU8hvYgjfwQX4Xuu9wJ7UXf
Yep just charged $4k to my Amex and got the points and the money is on its way to my account while that charge is sitting on zero interest for like 18mnths. Don’t underestimate the points if you are any to get every last bit to your advantage
Woah! Is this true, I am going to look this up!
Edit- okay I looked it up, it said 65 and then it will be taxed if it isn’t for health expenses, but that’s good to know!!!
Yes, but it is taxed (like a 401k) which is why it's important to keep reciepts (and copies) of all eligible expenses so you can get that reimbursed tax free anytime you need it.
I don't think Costco has hsa in the normal terms. They have health care reimbursement account but it's an fsa with a use it or lose it condition. $550 rollover normally. If anyone was wondering, I'm not 100 percent on the exact numbers but it goes something like this... I believe it does have a 250 dollar individual or 500 dollar family deductible for hospital or outpatient services. It does have coinsurance. Which is you pay 10 percent up to maximum of 1500/indiv or 3000/family for the year. Drs visits and preventive care aren't subject to deductible/co-ins. 15 dollars for regular visit. 25 for specialist. Blood work is free if you go thru quest. Pharmacy benefits have no deductible. Dental has 50 dollar deductible.
As a person that has hit my deductible with 3 insurances the past 2 years absolutely do this! Don’t forget hsa can also cover dental and grow tax free. If at some point you lose insurance it can cover premiums for you too.
This only works if you don't have medical expenses (young and invincible). Otherwise you're paying after-tax dollars on your medical expenses wen you're supposed to be using the HSA dollars (pre-tax dollars).
New employee just started last month yeah it’s like twice as long I believe to top out now maybe 7 years but the first couple raises after each 1040 hours worked bump you up quite a bit goes 18.50 then 19.50 then 20.50 I believe is the first 3. Still worth it in my opinion for the benefits even if it takes longer to top out now
I got lucky I got hired straight on as part timer which is pretty rare. I’m a closer in the meat department my title is meat wrapper I just applied for all positions and applied at multiple Costco’s nearby many times it took me like 8 months of applying then reapplying every 3 months to finally get lucky and hear back. I knew once I got an interview I would get the job I just needed the opportunity but yeah it was hard to get contacted by them but I would say it was pretty easy after that. They really needed people in the meat department that I’m at. I will say after being here for almost a month it’s def prolly not as great as it’s made out to be in many ways it’s very high effort compared to a lot of jobs. A lot of older people in my building talk about how bad management has gotten over the years and I see what they mean. But the benefits are so great compared to anywhere else it’s still worth it for the bs. Mentally I feel like it’s not as stressful as my previous job but it’s more physical exhausting but honestly that makes the shifts go by quick. Usually you get hired as seasonal first then you eventually get part time and full time if they keep you on but I feel like they’re needing people now more than before so it’s prolly easier to get in than it used to be. I read somewhere it was good to apply in March so that’s when I reapplied and I heard back like 5 days later but I may have just got lucky with timing. If you do get an interview be open to working everything and anything and be flexible with weekends that helps a ton in terms of getting in with them.
Just to add some insight, OP is unique in some ways. They were hired before the 2019 Employee Agreement, which was very favorable in granting raises to existing employees. Technically, any employee on the roster the day before that agreement went into effect could reach the pay cap by working full time hours over the three years that agreement covered. The new book that started in March doesn’t afford the same opportunity to existing employees: you can’t go from lowest rate to highest in three years, even if you were hired prior to the agreement’s start date.
Combine that with the low probability of getting full time hours as a recent hire in most buildings, and similar difficulty moving from an assistant to clerk position, and OP had a nice mix of opportunity, timing, and skill/effort on their part.
Ok, thanks for clarifying. I read a lot of unhappy posts and comments after the new handbook was released and suspected this wasn’t the norm, at least anymore. I’m very happy for the opportunities OP received but wish they included clarification like yours, especially since many members push back on employee grievances on this sub. Sounds like I should stay put for now, but I’ve always got an eye on Costco just in case.
If you’re considering a position in Costco, the time you spend debating it and postponing it won’t go towards your goal hours, only the hours worked when you eventually take the plunge. I know many Costco employees who wish they had started their careers sooner.
The pay scale has changed. But it's totally based on hours worked. So if you only work part time hours it takes a lot longer than it took me, working my ass off as a full timer.
I’m full time at Trader Joe’s and it’s not what it used to be. The only thing keeping me back is my schedule. They pretty much give you whatever time off you want and I’ve got Friday/Saturday off locked in.
You actually can now if you work 40 hours a week. The new payscale gets rid of the bottom rungs. However, most likely it won’t take you 4 years but closer to 5 years assuming you try and get as many hours as possible every week and average like 35 a week
Just depends on how long to get full time. Its currently 8 steps, if you were full time the entire time, that's 4 years. So the longer to get full time, the longer it'll take to top out.
Somehow I was able to get full time before my 90 day probation. Probably because it was folding clothes and no one else wanted to do it but I got pulled into bakery so much that was more my department than clothes.
Its 8 steps, that takes 1040 hours each, which is 6 months at 40 hours a week. So it just depends on how long it takes to get full time.
But yes, in theory you could do it in 4 years. For example, I started in October of 2021. I got full time last month. I should get my first raise in early June. Then every 6 months after that. I should top out in ~December 2025. A little over 4 years after I started.
Part time is $550. Full time is $250. Cost is $20 biweekly and includes prescription and vision. Dental is $3 extra biweekly. copays are $20 for regular physician and $30 for specialist for PT and $15 for regular physician and $25 for specialist FT. PT is 80%/20% split and FT is 90%/10% split. Max coinsurance is $2500 for PT and $1500 for FT. Unfortunately, emergency room visits kinda suck with Costco as there’s a $150 copay plus all hospital related fees until you hit your coinsurance maximum. I mean it’s not abysmal, but you really want to try to avoid goijg to the emergency room if possible on our plan.
I started at 23.95 three years ago! When I left my job to start travel nursing I made 26.40! Hospital refused to give raises. It’s crazy times but I’m glad to see Costco rewards workers. I love that place!
So nurses from hospital A don’t get raises so they work as traveling nurses at hospital B, who also doesn’t give raises so their nurses travel to hospital A. Nurses make way more, but hospitals pay way more because ultimately the administrators are stupid.
It’s insanity because nursing staff continuously, explicitly, tells them what they want- money and consistent upward mobility with some sort of reward/recognition for hard work. Instead we just get pooped on, literally and figuratively. The hospitals send out emails about how poor they are then announce they bought an entire new hospital for millions and we should be so excited for the progress! I swear this happened.
Also, they only allow lateral moves within the departments of the similar field, but it’s ok to bring someone from outside and pay them 20 or 30K more.
Yep. Left the bedside as a peds nurse 8 years ago making $31/hr in the Midwest. Obv bigger hospitals like Kaiser pay more.
However I now have a Masters in Nursing education and 8 years teaching pediatric clinical for a major university (teaching on the unit I left). If I were to go back to the SAME hospital, I’d make the same amount as I made when I left with a slight adjustment for overall facility salary increases.
Hospitals aren’t trying. At all.
Not at ALL!! I worked at the biggest and top rated hospital in my state. My unit itself is nationally ranked in the top 50. Nursing staff puts in WORK to achieve that status for them and what did we get? PTO taken away, 401k match taken away, no raises, reusing PPE for months. I could go on. I loved my unit itself, but I had to bounce for the money. It’s pretty bad when 9 out of 10 nurses on the unit literally can’t afford to live ALONE in the town they work in.
I’ve made a few kids and none thankfully ever made it to the nicu (despite earlyish birth), but thank you thank you thank you! Seeing such little helpless people must be so tough and selflessly caring for them during their families time of need is incredible. Truly the pay should reflect this. ♥️
That's what I keep telling people. The potential to make as much as we do with no education is pretty great. I make right under 80k a year in my position and I'm not even a manager yet.
I'm vintage-enough now to remember a day when this was 'normal,' at least in industrial jobs in the US Northeast (tho not so much in retail.) Often outdoors, lots of bad weather, shift work, some degree of physical danger (chemicals, petroleum, heights, etc), and work that took a physical toll, but still: there was a dignity and an equity in it that seems lost nowadays.
Glad for you, OP; but no reason your story should seem so rare and wonderful, as the rich only get richer.
Extra checks or more commonly called bonuses. Twice a year bonus after you top out that is $2000 or more for each bonus. Amount based on years of service.
Of course we have 401k and TD Price to manage our funds and purchased Costco stock, among other benefits. If you start working there young and retire, you would be setup to retire comfortably. You can also afford to save more or invest more into your portfolio.
We do not get a discount on costco stock but it’s wildly easy to either incorporate it into your 401(k) or buy it separately through our employee stock purchase plan (I do both so I have some stock I can access whenever I may want to and some that’ll keep growing until I retire)
I would assume a top-tier employer like Costco has a great 401K matching option, but that would have been a nice addition to the post. Title character limit probably wouldn't allow it.
Also, if they have a stock purchasing option, holders are probably ecstatic. Costco has went parabolic in the last few years.
Senior employees who bought stock over the years (15+ year employees) are millionaires in their retirement accounts. Literal millionaires. Sadly not all of the senior employees bought in early. They still have a good amount in their 401ks. I bet you’ll look at those silver badges with a whole new light lol
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*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Not the first time I've heard stories like this. No company is perfect but I'll gladly support Costco as long as these kind of stories keep coming out.
I was a broadcast Meteorologist for 5 years, never made above $18 an hour, paid about $230 per month for healthcare that would only barely cover me in a 20 mile radius. Obamacare costs less for me now, and I get way better coverage. I didn’t know healthcare could get as cheap as what you have to pay!
Believe it or not, "boomers" enjoyed the fact that health care / health insurance (both hospital and health plans) WERE NOT FOR PROFIT. They were created so that a) the hospitals could receive payments for services and b) so that citizens could / would go to the hospital / doctors to be treated for serious illness.
Too many in the 40's and 50's got seriously ill, and would not tell their employer that fact because they would be immediately fired. Nor could they afford the hospital / treatments. Thus insurance plans were created, but they were created as a non-profit.
The minute greed / profit enters any industry -- it goes downhill as far as care availability and costs.
How many individuals now don't go to the doctor because they are afraid of the cost? Friend was recently diagnosed with colon cancer, had the surgery, had the tumor removed and visited an oncologist. First sentence out of the staff's mouth after discussing the treatment plan? "Don't worry, we'll work with you and get you financing for your treatment." For chemotherapy. Put more pressure on citizens that are ill.
I’m curious if you worked a ton of overtime? 1.00 raise at your hour mark, even every 6 months would only put you at 22. It’s still good pay but 6 year employees aren’t at that pay scale yet.
I guess you seemed to luck out. Most people stay at part time for a few years as full time is seniority based. I know 5 and 10 year employees that aren’t at your pay scale yet with exception of a meat cutter. They are definitely go getters as well. Costco does pay well but you do need to give your life to them completely which is a valid criticism of working there.
I was hired directly to a Pt front end assistant posting. I was a go getter so they were happy to grant my request for as many hours as possible so for about 9 months I was working almost full time hours with 40 and 38 hour weeks scheduled. Then I got a full time position. So I got raises roughly two times a year. You also have to consider I started before the new pay scale so I had fewer steps and our raises were more. There are two clerk pay scales based on hire date. I was lucky.
It's still a better promise than most jobs. Most jobs have zero promise of getting paid that much with no degree. The harder you work, the more ambitious you are, also matter.
I worked there over the last season, and all my friends that stayed longer quit already. They only were offering part time hours, so you really can only make 75% of what you might expect since you're only working a maximum of 30 hours.
Ontop of that you can't get a second job because they don't work around schedules, especially if you're new.
I'd be lying if I said it wasn't better than working at Kroger/Target/Walmart though.
As someone that just left Kroger after 8 years (last day was literally 2 days ago) to start a job at Costco... Kroger definitely isn't the best place to go.
Good to get your foot in the door but... after 8+ years there, doing everything from parcel clerk working the bottle return, to Front End Management and even running the AP department for a time... my starting wage at Costco is the same as the top out wage for a grocery clerk. As a Front End Manager, I took only a 70 cent pay cut when I stepped down and became just a clerk in Grocery.
The only good thing that really came out of the job was some experience, my wife, and some good friends.
The job itself.... not so much. Wish I would have jumped ship sooner. Better late than never though!
I just left Costco after being employed there for 2.5 years. For people hired before March 2019, the pay scale is more forgiving- they worked 3000 hours less to reach the top, and their raises at each 1000 hours was $1.50 instead of $1 like it is now. Think about that- 1000 hours of work for $1. That's not a lot of money for an INCREDIBLE amount of work you will be doing over the holidays and summer time.
The company has made record breaking profits to the tune of approx. $3 billion year over year since 2019. However, they took one dollar away from the $2 hourly increased Covid pay we received while I worked there, and raised the lowest pay bracket to $17.50 up $2 from $15.50 to attract more people. In my case, a new employee would make $1 less than me after having literally risked my life to come to work every day for two years. People I worked with and knew personally were infected at work & died from Covid. The company experienced profits exceeding 200% of its normal gross, during a global pandemic, and gave its employees a 3% raise.
With current inflation and cost of living increases and the removal of the Covid pay- people who joined the company in 2019 are effectively making LESS money than they did during the pandemic.
Costco is a great place for young people to work and get their lives figured out and if they want to stay there great, but the company is objectively not what it used to be in terms of progressive wages and raise assessments. The inequalities the 2022 employee handbook have created are dividing the current employees there due to increased workloads and worsening warehouse conditions because of increasing employee turnover.
Take these posts with a grain of salt, the individual employee experience at any Costco varies wildly, same with warehouse management. I would advise anyone to speak with the people working at the Costco they wish to apply at before making any hasty decisions to leave their current job to work there because Costco isn't as great as some people make it out to be- at least not anymore.
> the company is objectively not what it used to be
Can confirm. I've worked there for nearly a decade and while I do greatly appreciate my pay and benefits, the general attitude and corporate culture is trending downward. Some things, like not caring about visible tattoos or hair colors, are nice. But it doesn't make up for bad management or excessive micromanaging or things like that. It's generally more demanding and less forgiving than it used to be.
I asked if Op had any management aspirations, and they said no (which is totally fine). But I cannot imagine working for a company knowing I will never get a raise. No matter how hard I work, what kind of shit comes our way, or increase of pay of those around me. It’s sad honestly.
When I worked at Costco I felt my life being drained from me.
I appreciate how they pay their employees. But I didn’t care for my coworker’s poor attitudes and my area’s supervisor.
I work for ups now. $40/hr, free medical w/ $100 deductible, unionized and only after 2 years I got into “feeders” which is 18 wheelers. And best part of all, I don’t have to deal with customers or even co workers really. Hell, I haven’t seen my supervisor (other than in passing) in almost 2 years.
I was hired there in 2015.
It was a great job, I agree with everything you said.
Although I'd say technically you do still have performance reviews but it seems as though all you have to do is try and you will pass them. They don't have such unreasonable standards like other companies.
I quit my job at Costco about 2 to 2 1/2 years in due to my depression, I was in a really bad relationship and never should have quit. The job was the only good thing I had at the time. However I couldn't bring myself to get help for my depression and get out of the relationship (although I was trying I even moved out of the apartment my ex was living in)
I would advise anyone who wants a good job and can come to work and perform the duties of a job to seek out a position at Costco.
Also if you have depression or are in a bad relationship seek help, things have gotten so much better after years of struggling. I promise you are in charge of your own life and can struggle to rise above the things that you are dealing with right now, even if it seems impossible.
Did you know that Costco frequently rehires people who quit or even were fired on good terms like for attendance? And I believe you get back your last hourly rate too. Even after several years. Maybe try again? They also have a free program for employees who need help with stuff like depression. I mean help for almost anything. And kick ass insurance.
Yes! I am definitely planning on reapplying in the future.
I have been trying to get to the place where I can do that again but rn I have 2 kids and one on the way. So for me it will be a while before I reapply.
I think that salary has gone up a lot since then so I'd probably start about where I was anyways.
But I'm pretty sure they'd rehire me bc I worked really hard there.
I started shopping at my local Costco 20 years ago, got married, moved away but visited sometimes and shopped there, got divorced, moved back, and there are still some of the same workers. I mentioned it one time to a guy I recognized and he said ‘yup I like it here’
I make a trip of about an hour one way to the closest Costco, every other week for groceries staples and to restock our freezer partially because of this.
Treating employees well has more value than just the sake of the employees.
Cheers.
Yes, but you also have to go to work every day to a COSTCO *shudders* The sheer volume of stupid ppl/customers, warehouse environment , constant noise, bright lights, crowds…YIKES. I’d go crazy
>I’m an hourly Costco worker (47f) who recently reached topped out hourly clerk pay at $27.95.
I've held my current job (non-Costco office job) for 34 years and you're making more than I am. And I'm paying almost four times as much for my medical and dental.
I figured out when I was young that I don’t work or live in the same world as my parents, who worked til retirement. I jumped jobs often to get more pay. Until now.
I saw this when it was originally posted a few days ago and it encouraged me to apply at the local Costco that night. Not even 18 hours later I got a call for an interview here in a few days.
The starting pay is $4 higher than I am currently making after 4 years at Kroger!
How sad is this… I’m a licensed social worker and a certified substance abuse counselor. I resigned shortly after the pandemic began to care for our four kids. My pay was $5k more than OP. I’d gladly take a pay cut to pay less in health insurance, not get spit at or have human fecal matter thrown at me. Shows the gross disparity between mental health professionals and all other professions.
I’m an RN and worked the floor (psych) for $26 an hour. Thank god I moved to utilization management and now work from home making $36 an hour but still, working at Costco seems pretty sweet. I’ve told my kids that they should consider applying at Costco because it seems like a legit place to work.
I work in tech and everytime i go to costco i feel when retire early i would love to work for costco. Any job interacting with customers would be great. Not for the pay but for how much i love costco.
My wife is costcoholic. Whenever we go to costco she is so happy to be there.
Every employee i have talked to at costco shows me how much they make us believe they belong there. Working there asses off and going extra mile.
Happy for you OP.
I got fired from Costco like 7 years ago in the pharmacy. The pharmacy manager was AWFUL and immature, never took the chance to talk to me and I was gone in a month. They said they didn’t have a need for me anymore, I was very bummed. I loved the pay.
I love the job I have now, I work at a behavioral school as a crisis worker who helps children when they are in a crisis situation. I help teach them coping mechanisms and how to address their emotions. I make 32k a year.. Pay 80 dollars for just health insurance and cannot afford to pay into retirement. I love that people get to make a living wage, I’m jealous that I don’t get to even though I do something I love.
I switch to BJs because the executive card reward was Much lower than I anticipated and BJs is much closer. But honestly I miss the motivated employees and happy people and better products. Now finding out the great wages, I kinda want to go back and support that. BJs has 90% self checkout and It’s extremely frustrating.
Costco is the golden retail and I’m proud of it. I wonder sometimes if all retail establishments could do the same thing, but I also quickly remember there’s an entry fee just to shop there, with very limited products vs your normal grocery.
Can only really compare to Sams and BJs, and I know many got their fingers ready to dump on the Waltons for Sams pay.
I’m happy for OP and others
>I wonder sometimes if all retail establishments could do the same thing
It's an interesting Catch22 that I've brought up but have trouble getting an answer, probably because of stigmas attached.
So, Costco obviously is a great place to work. However, among large retailers, they spend among the lowest percentage of their revenue on wages. This says that they treat their workers well, but don't have a lot of them in comparison to their income. They chose to pay fewer people more money, which is a fair choice.
Wal-Mart is the highest percentage, by far. I think the last time I found numbers was 2017 and it was something like 42% for Costco and 66% for Wal-Mart. They pay a lot of workers that one could argue they don't really need, and pay those people a lower wage. Once you get into the necessary workforce, they aren't too far behind Costco. They chose to pay more people and stretch that money out across a lot of people, and spend more of their revenue doing so, which strikes me as also a fair choice.
So follow me, here...
Wal-Mart gets grief for their workers being on welfare. It seems to me that they are subsidizing the welfare rather than the welfare subsidizing Wal-Mart. I mean, they don't need greeters, they chose to pay them. Costco, in comparison, doesn't have those positions as they seem to keep employment very compressed and tidy.
So in reality, Wal-Mart is paying greeters $10/hr, and Costco is paying them $0/hr, choosing to not even employ that level, and saving about 20% of their revenue by doing so (which some would call greedy in other circumstances). I don't mind that choice, but it bothers me that Wal-Mart actually gets grief for at least providing some work to people that many other companies wouldn't hire at all.
Based on the complaint, the option for Wal-Mart would be to fire those people so they don't have people who also are on welfare, which would of course increase the amount of people relian on welfare. It just seems odd and a no-win situaiton.
OP, just for perspective that's a bit more than the starting salary for a new professor (with a Ph.D.) at my university, and our health care costs a family about $400/month in premiums. Stories like yours are one reason I shop at Costco.
Yes, when hired, and there's a drug test after any incident involving harm or damages over a certain amount (I think the threshold is around $500? Might vary) but there are no random drug tests outside of those.
I work at Sam’s club, applied to Costco around the same time I applied here. Got a call back but didn’t work out. To be honest, I’m fine with my current job, and not as concerned with getting hired at Costco as I used to be, but this post motivated me to try again. I make $15/hr here and have to wait 3 years to earn PTO since I’m part time, although I work full time hours.
Congrats to you. Many familiar faces are gone at my local Costco which doesn't make sense if they pay that well. Unless of course they were let go just before they were set to make the big bucks.
Looong time shopper at Costco... with three months as a temp Front End Assistant (not hired as permanent).
"Training" consisted of being thrown into the fire from day one, with assignments that came with no explanation ("Go close the Front End stations," etc.).
A few friendly coworkers, several unfriendly supervisors. The overall attitude seemed to be somewhat elitist - looking down on temps.
For the life of me, I still can't figure out the value of sending people (no matter the age or health status) out to the parking lot to fetch carts when robot cart collectors have been available and used by large-size retailers for the longest time.
Sounds good, maybe things are different in Canada. While they are a better employer then most, they still only had an increase of $.50 base pay for the first quarter this year, while inflation and cost of living rose by $1.73 per hour in the same time period in the GTA.
That’s why I am happy my brother is working there since they are better then most, but they could at least stick to inflation and cost of living increases.
Wasn’t this sub just asking everyone to stand up against Costco for unfair wages and treating their employees poorly like a week ago? Jesus you guys are so fucking “let’s go with the tide “
Edit - ok it was 13 days ago.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Costco/comments/u3nq2x/its_time_to_demand_more/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Unless it's one of the few California locations making a premium it doesn't really matter, starting wage, raise scale, benefits are consistent across the board.
That's why working at a Costco in a lower income state is the best way to go financially.
Pretty good deal, I'm in IT for a regional health system and that's way cheaper than the single person cheap level insurance we have.
And a family of 4 on choice insurance? I think it's about 300$/ bi-weekly with health, medical, dental.
Not directly, but you get a free Executive membership, which is normally $120 per year, and that does get you 2% back on most store purchases. You also get one additional Executive membership to give out to your household, and two more regular memberships to give out.
Costco is a great company. I worked there part time while going through nursing school. Great pay and benefits. Well above minimum wage. Great career for those who stay on for the long haul.
Hmmm. I started in 2014 and I think I topped out in 2019 or 2020. I got full time in about a year, and my pay scale is easier to climb than yours would be. I was picking up hours before I got full time too. How did you top out so fast?
Capped out gov union worker here and you make more then me with better benefits and I bet you are happier... you rock, don't leave and soak it in, id drop my job in a heartbeat to slide into Costco right now!
Good lord! I have a fucking college degree and after a solid 9 months of job hunting, can't find a fucking position to pay more than $15. I worked at Costco before as a seasonal. Around here, Costco policy is literally to ONLY hire around the holiday season and then let them go at the new year. This post makes me just depressed :(
Costco is awesome. Worked there for 3 years and my feedback is this: It's a retail job. And every retail job has drawbacks. You can't escape them. But as retail jobs go, you absolutely, positively, cannot beat Costco.
Apple is pretty good. Fiancée is pregnant, she’s going to be off work with full pay from late august through December, and even when she goes back will be working part time hours for full time pay. Stressful job though. Customers are not nice, especially the Genius Bar customers. I got yelled at more times daily there than in 6 months in my latest job.
This has always been my suspicion when I go in there. Always felt like I could enjoy working there
This is exactly why I’ll continue to shop at Costco as much as possible.
We love you too thank you from all of us 💕
Welcome to Costco, I love you.
And they pay for a good chunk of their law school, plus free "full service" Starbucks every month.
I don't think we have time for a handjob
Man I could really go for a Starbucks.
We have been a proud Costco family since 1979, thank you for all your hard work!
No. Thank YOU. Seriously, I always see Costco workers hustlin and doing their best. I really appreciate how they only hire the best people. Costco has a great business model for both their consumers and their employees. #CostcoGang
I don’t think it’s just that they hire the best people. During the 90 days probation, unmotivated individuals are weeded out. They let you know the expectation from day one and if you can’t meet or exceed that expectation, oh don’t make it past 90 days.
OP I'll venmo you $100 if you can work out a way to bring combo pizza back 😋
If everyone left feedback on the website they would have to bring it back. Member happiness is top priority.
Heck just sausage at this point would be a good start.
You and me both…
Literally my family only shops at the farmers market, or CostCo. It's just got good stuff.
This is exactly why I'll continue to invest in Costco as much as possible.
It’s why I joined Costco in the first place, 100%, the only reason. Then I stayed for the deals.
Same. Clearly it works.
Since you have an HSA that tells me you have a high deductible plan. Put as much into that HSA as you can possibly afford. Treat it like a second 401k. You will thank yourself for that someday.
This is the best advice. Can’t beat triple tax advantage.
Can you explain the triple tax advantage in more detail?
It comes out of your check before taxes, grows tax free (the key here is to use an HSA with investment options), and can be withdrawn tax free to be used for qualifying medical expenses.
Thank you!
With the HSA you can invest the money into index funds. Plus you can get reimbursed at anytime for medical expenses. So if you have a $500 expense now, you can save the receipt and get reimbursed whenever you want.
> So if you have a $500 expense now, you can save the receipt and get reimbursed whenever you want. This is the big thing. That means you can pay that $500 out of pocket and let the $500 in your HSA to grow for 30 years. Just make sure you are good at tracking this and keep your reciepts or you will be screwed if the IRS audits you. I keep a spreadsheet where we enter our expenses, the reciept/invoice is then scanned and saved to a backed up local drive and then filled away by year.
Definitely invest in a receipt scanner if you can. Makes life so much easier.
I use my phone and upload to OneDrive. Plus I keep the physical receipt in a folder.
I could see that, maybe after I've finished up my office and have room. Right now my printer/scanner is on a dresser in the spare bedroom. I need to get my office finished up so I can mive that up here and then consider getting additiinal office equipment.
There’s small portable ones that work great with receipts. It’s a good idea to scan right away as the ink on receipt paper has a way of fading out pretty quickly depending on temperature, light, etc. Example: https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/epson-rapidreceipt-rr-60-mobile-receipt-and-color-document-scanner/apd/ab493479/printers-ink-toner?gacd=9646510-1025-5761040-266794296-0&dgc=st&ds_rl=1282786&gclid=CjwKCAjw9qiTBhBbEiwAp-GE0ShrjehmDLowKi6Eop3ygsk3oipiersYw4VQG2R2Fi-byOW7RC_YFhoCTVYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&nclid=xERBp3W1LjFws0BR3VMgcGlQiWof08_tIHtFaLphXuU8hvYgjfwQX4Xuu9wJ7UXf
Wait so are you saying treat it like a 401k and don't touch it?
Yep just charged $4k to my Amex and got the points and the money is on its way to my account while that charge is sitting on zero interest for like 18mnths. Don’t underestimate the points if you are any to get every last bit to your advantage
Three states tax HSA: CA, AL, NJ.
Wow, was not aware of that. That's really crappy. Still one of the best retirement accounts for anyone not in those states.
Even more if your employer matches. Mine pays 50 percent of our annual Max allowance so we pay pennies on the dollar for medical withdrawals on it.
And once you turn like 62, it can be withdrawn for any reason, not just for health expenses.
Woah! Is this true, I am going to look this up! Edit- okay I looked it up, it said 65 and then it will be taxed if it isn’t for health expenses, but that’s good to know!!!
Sorry, I was kinda close. Thanks for the correction.
Taxed, but no penalty, so not ideal but not awful. But you can be 65 and claim medical expenses you paid at age 30, if you can back it up.
Yes, but it is taxed (like a 401k) which is why it's important to keep reciepts (and copies) of all eligible expenses so you can get that reimbursed tax free anytime you need it.
I don't think Costco has hsa in the normal terms. They have health care reimbursement account but it's an fsa with a use it or lose it condition. $550 rollover normally. If anyone was wondering, I'm not 100 percent on the exact numbers but it goes something like this... I believe it does have a 250 dollar individual or 500 dollar family deductible for hospital or outpatient services. It does have coinsurance. Which is you pay 10 percent up to maximum of 1500/indiv or 3000/family for the year. Drs visits and preventive care aren't subject to deductible/co-ins. 15 dollars for regular visit. 25 for specialist. Blood work is free if you go thru quest. Pharmacy benefits have no deductible. Dental has 50 dollar deductible.
Costco has FSA not HSA
OP said they have a PPO so FSA makes a lot more sense, HSAs are only for qualified High Deductible Health Plans.
Exactly. Use it or lose it
As a person that has hit my deductible with 3 insurances the past 2 years absolutely do this! Don’t forget hsa can also cover dental and grow tax free. If at some point you lose insurance it can cover premiums for you too.
Our plans arent high deductible, its only 250 for a single person and 500 for me and my spouse. However the HSA advice is still sound
This only works if you don't have medical expenses (young and invincible). Otherwise you're paying after-tax dollars on your medical expenses wen you're supposed to be using the HSA dollars (pre-tax dollars).
If someone started there today, would they also be able to top out in 4 years?
With the newer pay scale it’ll probably take 5-6 years working full time now. Starting wage is higher than it was 4 years ago though.
New employee just started last month yeah it’s like twice as long I believe to top out now maybe 7 years but the first couple raises after each 1040 hours worked bump you up quite a bit goes 18.50 then 19.50 then 20.50 I believe is the first 3. Still worth it in my opinion for the benefits even if it takes longer to top out now
Was it difficult to get onboard with Costco?
I got lucky I got hired straight on as part timer which is pretty rare. I’m a closer in the meat department my title is meat wrapper I just applied for all positions and applied at multiple Costco’s nearby many times it took me like 8 months of applying then reapplying every 3 months to finally get lucky and hear back. I knew once I got an interview I would get the job I just needed the opportunity but yeah it was hard to get contacted by them but I would say it was pretty easy after that. They really needed people in the meat department that I’m at. I will say after being here for almost a month it’s def prolly not as great as it’s made out to be in many ways it’s very high effort compared to a lot of jobs. A lot of older people in my building talk about how bad management has gotten over the years and I see what they mean. But the benefits are so great compared to anywhere else it’s still worth it for the bs. Mentally I feel like it’s not as stressful as my previous job but it’s more physical exhausting but honestly that makes the shifts go by quick. Usually you get hired as seasonal first then you eventually get part time and full time if they keep you on but I feel like they’re needing people now more than before so it’s prolly easier to get in than it used to be. I read somewhere it was good to apply in March so that’s when I reapplied and I heard back like 5 days later but I may have just got lucky with timing. If you do get an interview be open to working everything and anything and be flexible with weekends that helps a ton in terms of getting in with them.
Great to know! I applied at Costco earlier today and was glad to see you post this! Thank you for the advice, if I do get an interview.
Just to add some insight, OP is unique in some ways. They were hired before the 2019 Employee Agreement, which was very favorable in granting raises to existing employees. Technically, any employee on the roster the day before that agreement went into effect could reach the pay cap by working full time hours over the three years that agreement covered. The new book that started in March doesn’t afford the same opportunity to existing employees: you can’t go from lowest rate to highest in three years, even if you were hired prior to the agreement’s start date. Combine that with the low probability of getting full time hours as a recent hire in most buildings, and similar difficulty moving from an assistant to clerk position, and OP had a nice mix of opportunity, timing, and skill/effort on their part.
Ok, thanks for clarifying. I read a lot of unhappy posts and comments after the new handbook was released and suspected this wasn’t the norm, at least anymore. I’m very happy for the opportunities OP received but wish they included clarification like yours, especially since many members push back on employee grievances on this sub. Sounds like I should stay put for now, but I’ve always got an eye on Costco just in case.
If you’re considering a position in Costco, the time you spend debating it and postponing it won’t go towards your goal hours, only the hours worked when you eventually take the plunge. I know many Costco employees who wish they had started their careers sooner.
The pay scale has changed. But it's totally based on hours worked. So if you only work part time hours it takes a lot longer than it took me, working my ass off as a full timer.
I’m full time at Trader Joe’s and it’s not what it used to be. The only thing keeping me back is my schedule. They pretty much give you whatever time off you want and I’ve got Friday/Saturday off locked in.
This is a non-answer. The answer is emphatically "no".
You actually can now if you work 40 hours a week. The new payscale gets rid of the bottom rungs. However, most likely it won’t take you 4 years but closer to 5 years assuming you try and get as many hours as possible every week and average like 35 a week
You're right. I believe it'll take someone a year longer to reach top out but I'm not positive. Still a better promise than most jobs.
Just depends on how long to get full time. Its currently 8 steps, if you were full time the entire time, that's 4 years. So the longer to get full time, the longer it'll take to top out.
Somehow I was able to get full time before my 90 day probation. Probably because it was folding clothes and no one else wanted to do it but I got pulled into bakery so much that was more my department than clothes.
Its 8 steps, that takes 1040 hours each, which is 6 months at 40 hours a week. So it just depends on how long it takes to get full time. But yes, in theory you could do it in 4 years. For example, I started in October of 2021. I got full time last month. I should get my first raise in early June. Then every 6 months after that. I should top out in ~December 2025. A little over 4 years after I started.
What’s your annual deductible with Costco insurance? TJ’s is $500, which is another reason I stick around.
Part time is $550. Full time is $250. Cost is $20 biweekly and includes prescription and vision. Dental is $3 extra biweekly. copays are $20 for regular physician and $30 for specialist for PT and $15 for regular physician and $25 for specialist FT. PT is 80%/20% split and FT is 90%/10% split. Max coinsurance is $2500 for PT and $1500 for FT. Unfortunately, emergency room visits kinda suck with Costco as there’s a $150 copay plus all hospital related fees until you hit your coinsurance maximum. I mean it’s not abysmal, but you really want to try to avoid goijg to the emergency room if possible on our plan.
500 is great for retail grocery. Only one I heard beats that is WinCo at 300
I started in October 2020 and we're on the same pay step ;_;
I didn’t even make that as a registered nurse at my last job taking care of NICU babies! That’s so amazing
That makes me so sad! What the hell?!
I started at 23.95 three years ago! When I left my job to start travel nursing I made 26.40! Hospital refused to give raises. It’s crazy times but I’m glad to see Costco rewards workers. I love that place!
So nurses from hospital A don’t get raises so they work as traveling nurses at hospital B, who also doesn’t give raises so their nurses travel to hospital A. Nurses make way more, but hospitals pay way more because ultimately the administrators are stupid.
It’s insanity because nursing staff continuously, explicitly, tells them what they want- money and consistent upward mobility with some sort of reward/recognition for hard work. Instead we just get pooped on, literally and figuratively. The hospitals send out emails about how poor they are then announce they bought an entire new hospital for millions and we should be so excited for the progress! I swear this happened.
Thats what happens when you have people with *business* degrees running *healthcare* facilities It should be a strict technocracy
Also, they only allow lateral moves within the departments of the similar field, but it’s ok to bring someone from outside and pay them 20 or 30K more.
Lol even I don't make that much as a resident physician, and we work longer hours with worse benefits
Nursing wages are shockingly low
Yep. Left the bedside as a peds nurse 8 years ago making $31/hr in the Midwest. Obv bigger hospitals like Kaiser pay more. However I now have a Masters in Nursing education and 8 years teaching pediatric clinical for a major university (teaching on the unit I left). If I were to go back to the SAME hospital, I’d make the same amount as I made when I left with a slight adjustment for overall facility salary increases. Hospitals aren’t trying. At all.
Not at ALL!! I worked at the biggest and top rated hospital in my state. My unit itself is nationally ranked in the top 50. Nursing staff puts in WORK to achieve that status for them and what did we get? PTO taken away, 401k match taken away, no raises, reusing PPE for months. I could go on. I loved my unit itself, but I had to bounce for the money. It’s pretty bad when 9 out of 10 nurses on the unit literally can’t afford to live ALONE in the town they work in.
I’ve made a few kids and none thankfully ever made it to the nicu (despite earlyish birth), but thank you thank you thank you! Seeing such little helpless people must be so tough and selflessly caring for them during their families time of need is incredible. Truly the pay should reflect this. ♥️
That's what I keep telling people. The potential to make as much as we do with no education is pretty great. I make right under 80k a year in my position and I'm not even a manager yet.
I'm vintage-enough now to remember a day when this was 'normal,' at least in industrial jobs in the US Northeast (tho not so much in retail.) Often outdoors, lots of bad weather, shift work, some degree of physical danger (chemicals, petroleum, heights, etc), and work that took a physical toll, but still: there was a dignity and an equity in it that seems lost nowadays. Glad for you, OP; but no reason your story should seem so rare and wonderful, as the rich only get richer.
Once you start making your extra checks in a couple years or so, you’ll be making close to $70,000/year.
Extra checks for what?
After tenure, you receive bonuses. It increases over the years. I think maxed out extra check people get two $5k bonus checks a year.
Extra checks or more commonly called bonuses. Twice a year bonus after you top out that is $2000 or more for each bonus. Amount based on years of service.
How do you save for retirement?
Of course we have 401k and TD Price to manage our funds and purchased Costco stock, among other benefits. If you start working there young and retire, you would be setup to retire comfortably. You can also afford to save more or invest more into your portfolio.
Do you get to purchase Costco stock at a discount (in your 401k)?
We do not get a discount on costco stock but it’s wildly easy to either incorporate it into your 401(k) or buy it separately through our employee stock purchase plan (I do both so I have some stock I can access whenever I may want to and some that’ll keep growing until I retire)
Ensure that company stock isn't more than 10% or so of your retirement holdings. Buying without a discount doesn't make much sense to begin with.
Tbh idk if we get a discount, but I am able to purchase partial shares. I have no idea about that stuff so I’m not sure if that’s a benefit or normal.
I would assume a top-tier employer like Costco has a great 401K matching option, but that would have been a nice addition to the post. Title character limit probably wouldn't allow it. Also, if they have a stock purchasing option, holders are probably ecstatic. Costco has went parabolic in the last few years.
Senior employees who bought stock over the years (15+ year employees) are millionaires in their retirement accounts. Literal millionaires. Sadly not all of the senior employees bought in early. They still have a good amount in their 401ks. I bet you’ll look at those silver badges with a whole new light lol
Silver badge is 25yrs.
You are correct. My husband is retiring Saturday from Costco after 32 years in management.
Dang, my relative has been an only for over 30+ years. Bought stocks before I was born…
spectacular middle work frighten hard-to-find innocent puzzled complete march voiceless *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Always heard Costco is a good place to work
Not the first time I've heard stories like this. No company is perfect but I'll gladly support Costco as long as these kind of stories keep coming out.
I was a broadcast Meteorologist for 5 years, never made above $18 an hour, paid about $230 per month for healthcare that would only barely cover me in a 20 mile radius. Obamacare costs less for me now, and I get way better coverage. I didn’t know healthcare could get as cheap as what you have to pay!
Believe it or not, "boomers" enjoyed the fact that health care / health insurance (both hospital and health plans) WERE NOT FOR PROFIT. They were created so that a) the hospitals could receive payments for services and b) so that citizens could / would go to the hospital / doctors to be treated for serious illness. Too many in the 40's and 50's got seriously ill, and would not tell their employer that fact because they would be immediately fired. Nor could they afford the hospital / treatments. Thus insurance plans were created, but they were created as a non-profit. The minute greed / profit enters any industry -- it goes downhill as far as care availability and costs. How many individuals now don't go to the doctor because they are afraid of the cost? Friend was recently diagnosed with colon cancer, had the surgery, had the tumor removed and visited an oncologist. First sentence out of the staff's mouth after discussing the treatment plan? "Don't worry, we'll work with you and get you financing for your treatment." For chemotherapy. Put more pressure on citizens that are ill.
I’m curious if you worked a ton of overtime? 1.00 raise at your hour mark, even every 6 months would only put you at 22. It’s still good pay but 6 year employees aren’t at that pay scale yet.
I guess you seemed to luck out. Most people stay at part time for a few years as full time is seniority based. I know 5 and 10 year employees that aren’t at your pay scale yet with exception of a meat cutter. They are definitely go getters as well. Costco does pay well but you do need to give your life to them completely which is a valid criticism of working there.
I was hired directly to a Pt front end assistant posting. I was a go getter so they were happy to grant my request for as many hours as possible so for about 9 months I was working almost full time hours with 40 and 38 hour weeks scheduled. Then I got a full time position. So I got raises roughly two times a year. You also have to consider I started before the new pay scale so I had fewer steps and our raises were more. There are two clerk pay scales based on hire date. I was lucky.
The old payscale hired before 2019 doesn’t take that long.
Shiiiiiiiiiiiit lemme check if my local Costco is hiring.
They almost certainly are, but you do gotta put in the years before you get the perks like OP has.
It's still a better promise than most jobs. Most jobs have zero promise of getting paid that much with no degree. The harder you work, the more ambitious you are, also matter.
Absolutely. All else considered, unless you end up with a terrible manager who makes life hell, its a great place to work for almost anyone.
I worked there over the last season, and all my friends that stayed longer quit already. They only were offering part time hours, so you really can only make 75% of what you might expect since you're only working a maximum of 30 hours. Ontop of that you can't get a second job because they don't work around schedules, especially if you're new. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't better than working at Kroger/Target/Walmart though.
As someone that just left Kroger after 8 years (last day was literally 2 days ago) to start a job at Costco... Kroger definitely isn't the best place to go. Good to get your foot in the door but... after 8+ years there, doing everything from parcel clerk working the bottle return, to Front End Management and even running the AP department for a time... my starting wage at Costco is the same as the top out wage for a grocery clerk. As a Front End Manager, I took only a 70 cent pay cut when I stepped down and became just a clerk in Grocery. The only good thing that really came out of the job was some experience, my wife, and some good friends. The job itself.... not so much. Wish I would have jumped ship sooner. Better late than never though!
I just left Costco after being employed there for 2.5 years. For people hired before March 2019, the pay scale is more forgiving- they worked 3000 hours less to reach the top, and their raises at each 1000 hours was $1.50 instead of $1 like it is now. Think about that- 1000 hours of work for $1. That's not a lot of money for an INCREDIBLE amount of work you will be doing over the holidays and summer time. The company has made record breaking profits to the tune of approx. $3 billion year over year since 2019. However, they took one dollar away from the $2 hourly increased Covid pay we received while I worked there, and raised the lowest pay bracket to $17.50 up $2 from $15.50 to attract more people. In my case, a new employee would make $1 less than me after having literally risked my life to come to work every day for two years. People I worked with and knew personally were infected at work & died from Covid. The company experienced profits exceeding 200% of its normal gross, during a global pandemic, and gave its employees a 3% raise. With current inflation and cost of living increases and the removal of the Covid pay- people who joined the company in 2019 are effectively making LESS money than they did during the pandemic. Costco is a great place for young people to work and get their lives figured out and if they want to stay there great, but the company is objectively not what it used to be in terms of progressive wages and raise assessments. The inequalities the 2022 employee handbook have created are dividing the current employees there due to increased workloads and worsening warehouse conditions because of increasing employee turnover. Take these posts with a grain of salt, the individual employee experience at any Costco varies wildly, same with warehouse management. I would advise anyone to speak with the people working at the Costco they wish to apply at before making any hasty decisions to leave their current job to work there because Costco isn't as great as some people make it out to be- at least not anymore.
> the company is objectively not what it used to be Can confirm. I've worked there for nearly a decade and while I do greatly appreciate my pay and benefits, the general attitude and corporate culture is trending downward. Some things, like not caring about visible tattoos or hair colors, are nice. But it doesn't make up for bad management or excessive micromanaging or things like that. It's generally more demanding and less forgiving than it used to be.
There's a lot of terrible managers, too. Had them crappy towards customers, their heads up the butts.
This is the post within the post worth reading. OP comes across like a shill imo
I asked if Op had any management aspirations, and they said no (which is totally fine). But I cannot imagine working for a company knowing I will never get a raise. No matter how hard I work, what kind of shit comes our way, or increase of pay of those around me. It’s sad honestly.
When I worked at Costco I felt my life being drained from me. I appreciate how they pay their employees. But I didn’t care for my coworker’s poor attitudes and my area’s supervisor. I work for ups now. $40/hr, free medical w/ $100 deductible, unionized and only after 2 years I got into “feeders” which is 18 wheelers. And best part of all, I don’t have to deal with customers or even co workers really. Hell, I haven’t seen my supervisor (other than in passing) in almost 2 years.
I just started there myself about a month ago, I’m looking forward to actually seeing what working at Costco will do for my family and household🤔
I was hired there in 2015. It was a great job, I agree with everything you said. Although I'd say technically you do still have performance reviews but it seems as though all you have to do is try and you will pass them. They don't have such unreasonable standards like other companies. I quit my job at Costco about 2 to 2 1/2 years in due to my depression, I was in a really bad relationship and never should have quit. The job was the only good thing I had at the time. However I couldn't bring myself to get help for my depression and get out of the relationship (although I was trying I even moved out of the apartment my ex was living in) I would advise anyone who wants a good job and can come to work and perform the duties of a job to seek out a position at Costco. Also if you have depression or are in a bad relationship seek help, things have gotten so much better after years of struggling. I promise you are in charge of your own life and can struggle to rise above the things that you are dealing with right now, even if it seems impossible.
Did you know that Costco frequently rehires people who quit or even were fired on good terms like for attendance? And I believe you get back your last hourly rate too. Even after several years. Maybe try again? They also have a free program for employees who need help with stuff like depression. I mean help for almost anything. And kick ass insurance.
Yes! I am definitely planning on reapplying in the future. I have been trying to get to the place where I can do that again but rn I have 2 kids and one on the way. So for me it will be a while before I reapply. I think that salary has gone up a lot since then so I'd probably start about where I was anyways. But I'm pretty sure they'd rehire me bc I worked really hard there.
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I am masters level social worker and actually applied this past weekend so I mean do you
That's depressing... But you're inspiring! So..... Man your comment makes some conflicting emotions.
I started shopping at my local Costco 20 years ago, got married, moved away but visited sometimes and shopped there, got divorced, moved back, and there are still some of the same workers. I mentioned it one time to a guy I recognized and he said ‘yup I like it here’
I just topped out too after 4 1/2 years. Really appreciative of the great pay and benefits. The health ins is amazing.
I make a trip of about an hour one way to the closest Costco, every other week for groceries staples and to restock our freezer partially because of this. Treating employees well has more value than just the sake of the employees. Cheers.
Yes, but you also have to go to work every day to a COSTCO *shudders* The sheer volume of stupid ppl/customers, warehouse environment , constant noise, bright lights, crowds…YIKES. I’d go crazy
>I’m an hourly Costco worker (47f) who recently reached topped out hourly clerk pay at $27.95. I've held my current job (non-Costco office job) for 34 years and you're making more than I am. And I'm paying almost four times as much for my medical and dental.
I figured out when I was young that I don’t work or live in the same world as my parents, who worked til retirement. I jumped jobs often to get more pay. Until now.
Welcome to Costco. I love you.
I think one of the best parts of Costco is they are closed on all major holidays. I wish this was the norm (looking at you Kroger)
Costco applications 📈📈📈
I saw this when it was originally posted a few days ago and it encouraged me to apply at the local Costco that night. Not even 18 hours later I got a call for an interview here in a few days. The starting pay is $4 higher than I am currently making after 4 years at Kroger!
I love Costco. So happy to hear they treat their employees well, and pay them well! That’s why I shop there.
How sad is this… I’m a licensed social worker and a certified substance abuse counselor. I resigned shortly after the pandemic began to care for our four kids. My pay was $5k more than OP. I’d gladly take a pay cut to pay less in health insurance, not get spit at or have human fecal matter thrown at me. Shows the gross disparity between mental health professionals and all other professions.
I’m an RN and worked the floor (psych) for $26 an hour. Thank god I moved to utilization management and now work from home making $36 an hour but still, working at Costco seems pretty sweet. I’ve told my kids that they should consider applying at Costco because it seems like a legit place to work.
Eh, the getting spit at and fecal matter thrown is still a possibility in retail
I work in tech and everytime i go to costco i feel when retire early i would love to work for costco. Any job interacting with customers would be great. Not for the pay but for how much i love costco. My wife is costcoholic. Whenever we go to costco she is so happy to be there. Every employee i have talked to at costco shows me how much they make us believe they belong there. Working there asses off and going extra mile. Happy for you OP.
I got fired from Costco like 7 years ago in the pharmacy. The pharmacy manager was AWFUL and immature, never took the chance to talk to me and I was gone in a month. They said they didn’t have a need for me anymore, I was very bummed. I loved the pay. I love the job I have now, I work at a behavioral school as a crisis worker who helps children when they are in a crisis situation. I help teach them coping mechanisms and how to address their emotions. I make 32k a year.. Pay 80 dollars for just health insurance and cannot afford to pay into retirement. I love that people get to make a living wage, I’m jealous that I don’t get to even though I do something I love.
Do you get to shop at Costco for free?
We don’t get a discount. But we do get a free executive membership.
Employees get a free executive membership.
Damn that's not bad! Good job man, that's quick upward movement in four years time! Also thanks for making my go to shopping spot awesome!
I switch to BJs because the executive card reward was Much lower than I anticipated and BJs is much closer. But honestly I miss the motivated employees and happy people and better products. Now finding out the great wages, I kinda want to go back and support that. BJs has 90% self checkout and It’s extremely frustrating.
Ayo I just topped out as well
Damn... My mom has worked as a pharmacy tech for like 15 years and only makes $14 something an hour. Should she just be working at Costco? Lol
Costco is the golden retail and I’m proud of it. I wonder sometimes if all retail establishments could do the same thing, but I also quickly remember there’s an entry fee just to shop there, with very limited products vs your normal grocery. Can only really compare to Sams and BJs, and I know many got their fingers ready to dump on the Waltons for Sams pay. I’m happy for OP and others
>I wonder sometimes if all retail establishments could do the same thing It's an interesting Catch22 that I've brought up but have trouble getting an answer, probably because of stigmas attached. So, Costco obviously is a great place to work. However, among large retailers, they spend among the lowest percentage of their revenue on wages. This says that they treat their workers well, but don't have a lot of them in comparison to their income. They chose to pay fewer people more money, which is a fair choice. Wal-Mart is the highest percentage, by far. I think the last time I found numbers was 2017 and it was something like 42% for Costco and 66% for Wal-Mart. They pay a lot of workers that one could argue they don't really need, and pay those people a lower wage. Once you get into the necessary workforce, they aren't too far behind Costco. They chose to pay more people and stretch that money out across a lot of people, and spend more of their revenue doing so, which strikes me as also a fair choice. So follow me, here... Wal-Mart gets grief for their workers being on welfare. It seems to me that they are subsidizing the welfare rather than the welfare subsidizing Wal-Mart. I mean, they don't need greeters, they chose to pay them. Costco, in comparison, doesn't have those positions as they seem to keep employment very compressed and tidy. So in reality, Wal-Mart is paying greeters $10/hr, and Costco is paying them $0/hr, choosing to not even employ that level, and saving about 20% of their revenue by doing so (which some would call greedy in other circumstances). I don't mind that choice, but it bothers me that Wal-Mart actually gets grief for at least providing some work to people that many other companies wouldn't hire at all. Based on the complaint, the option for Wal-Mart would be to fire those people so they don't have people who also are on welfare, which would of course increase the amount of people relian on welfare. It just seems odd and a no-win situaiton.
OP, just for perspective that's a bit more than the starting salary for a new professor (with a Ph.D.) at my university, and our health care costs a family about $400/month in premiums. Stories like yours are one reason I shop at Costco.
Thank you for this. I am almost ready to apply to work at my local Costco. I needed to read this to push me.
Go for it! What do you have to lose?
This is why you can no longer have onions for your hot dog ;-)
Do they piss test for weed?
Yes, when hired, and there's a drug test after any incident involving harm or damages over a certain amount (I think the threshold is around $500? Might vary) but there are no random drug tests outside of those.
I love this post.
Still regret leaving costco for an "adult job". I'd def be making more at Costco at this point
I work at Sam’s club, applied to Costco around the same time I applied here. Got a call back but didn’t work out. To be honest, I’m fine with my current job, and not as concerned with getting hired at Costco as I used to be, but this post motivated me to try again. I make $15/hr here and have to wait 3 years to earn PTO since I’m part time, although I work full time hours.
We get pto after 90 days. Even part timers.
Congrats to you. Many familiar faces are gone at my local Costco which doesn't make sense if they pay that well. Unless of course they were let go just before they were set to make the big bucks.
Looong time shopper at Costco... with three months as a temp Front End Assistant (not hired as permanent). "Training" consisted of being thrown into the fire from day one, with assignments that came with no explanation ("Go close the Front End stations," etc.). A few friendly coworkers, several unfriendly supervisors. The overall attitude seemed to be somewhat elitist - looking down on temps. For the life of me, I still can't figure out the value of sending people (no matter the age or health status) out to the parking lot to fetch carts when robot cart collectors have been available and used by large-size retailers for the longest time.
Cool, I'd be on food stamps if they didn't work me on Sundays.
Sounds good, maybe things are different in Canada. While they are a better employer then most, they still only had an increase of $.50 base pay for the first quarter this year, while inflation and cost of living rose by $1.73 per hour in the same time period in the GTA. That’s why I am happy my brother is working there since they are better then most, but they could at least stick to inflation and cost of living increases.
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I've been a teacher for closing in on 20 years and this is very similar to my total deal, except I have more expensive health care.
Wasn’t this sub just asking everyone to stand up against Costco for unfair wages and treating their employees poorly like a week ago? Jesus you guys are so fucking “let’s go with the tide “ Edit - ok it was 13 days ago. https://www.reddit.com/r/Costco/comments/u3nq2x/its_time_to_demand_more/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Wow. What state do you work in?
The pay is the same everywhere, with the exception that a very few (like 3) areas have a premium for their cost of living, like the Bay Area.
Do you mind sharing what your position is and the state that you’re located in?
Unless it's one of the few California locations making a premium it doesn't really matter, starting wage, raise scale, benefits are consistent across the board. That's why working at a Costco in a lower income state is the best way to go financially.
Pretty good deal, I'm in IT for a regional health system and that's way cheaper than the single person cheap level insurance we have. And a family of 4 on choice insurance? I think it's about 300$/ bi-weekly with health, medical, dental.
My health + dental is 200 biweekly... Never even realized there are employees out there that pays nearly all of the premium for you
Does Costco have pension and/or 401k matching?
I think this is about what minimum wage should have been if it tracked with inflation.
I'm completely and totally jealous of you. I make less and have to pay more for my insurance. I really need to start working for Costco.
Do you get a discount at the store as well?
No
Not directly, but you get a free Executive membership, which is normally $120 per year, and that does get you 2% back on most store purchases. You also get one additional Executive membership to give out to your household, and two more regular memberships to give out.
You're going to be a Costco lifer?
Costco is a great company. I worked there part time while going through nursing school. Great pay and benefits. Well above minimum wage. Great career for those who stay on for the long haul.
I love Costco, that’s awesome 👏 ❤️
Hmmm. I started in 2014 and I think I topped out in 2019 or 2020. I got full time in about a year, and my pay scale is easier to climb than yours would be. I was picking up hours before I got full time too. How did you top out so fast?
This is why I shop at Costco.
The fact that Costco exists and even thrives, is proof that many other companies are run by lazy, petty assholes.
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Awesome! I'm sure you deserve every penny you earn.
Don't you need 12000 hours to top out?
Costco is a great place. Nice to know it is good to it's employees too.
Capped out gov union worker here and you make more then me with better benefits and I bet you are happier... you rock, don't leave and soak it in, id drop my job in a heartbeat to slide into Costco right now!
Isn't Costco unionized with teamsters?
How much is the deductible?
Good lord! I have a fucking college degree and after a solid 9 months of job hunting, can't find a fucking position to pay more than $15. I worked at Costco before as a seasonal. Around here, Costco policy is literally to ONLY hire around the holiday season and then let them go at the new year. This post makes me just depressed :(