How Old Do You Have to be to Work at Costco?

To get an entry-level job at Costco Wholesale as a Cashier, Cashier’s Assistant, Membership Assistant, or Membership Refund Cashier you must be at least 18 years old. 

Costco Wholesale is a multi-billion dollar global retailer with warehouse club operations in eight countries. They are a leader in the field, dedicated to quality in every area of the business and respected for outstanding business ethics. Despite their large size and explosive international expansion, they provide a family atmosphere in which their employees thrive and succeed.

Teen Jobs at Costco and Age Requirements

Cashier  (Hourly)

The Cashier at Costco processes member orders and collects payment while providing a high level of member service.  They also perform clean up, department set-up, and closing tasks as necessary.

You must be at least 18 years old to work as a Cashier at Costco. 

Cashier’s Assistant  (Hourly)

As a Costco Cashier’s Assistant, you will pack member orders into boxes and transfer items to a separate cart for Cashiers. You will also perform clean-up, cart retrieval, merchandise restocking, and run for items as directed.

To work as a Cashier’s Assistant at Costco, you must be at least 18 years old.

Membership Assistant (Hourly)

A Costco Membership Assistant processes member sign ups, renewals, and added cards. They instruct members and potential members about membership, warehouse, and credit programs, and assists members regarding item availability. Other job responsibilities include issuing replacement and temporary cards, keying credit applications, and providing a high level of member service.

To work as a Membership Assistant at Costco, you must be at least 18 years old.

Membership Refund Cashier (Hourly)

A Costco Membership Refund Cashier processes membership and merchandise returns by members for cash or credit. They also write or key information for disposition tags on non-saleable merchandise and price adjustments, research items by computer, get verification and approvals when necessary, and ring up returns on the cash register. Membership Refund Cashiers also document customer adjustments performed.

To work as a Membership Refund Cashier at Costco, you must be at least 18 years old.

Can a 15 Year Old Work at Costco?

No. The minimum age to work at Costco is 16. We have a page on our website specifically for 15-year-olds that you can view for other options.

Can a 16 Year Old Work at Costco? 

No. 16-year-olds can’t work at Costco. We do have a page on our website specifically for 16-year-olds that you can view for more options.

How Much Does Costco Pay Part-Time Workers?

The hourly earnings for employees at Costco vary because of state and city minimum wage laws. However, we can give you a general idea of what the hourly pay is for each position.

Cashier (Hourly)

As a Cashier at Costco, you will be making somewhere between $10 and $25 per hour. If this is your first job, then you will most likely start at the lower end of the range.

The average hourly rate for a Costco Cashier is $14.

Cashier’s Assistant (Hourly)

The rate of pay for a Cashier’s Assistant is between $10 and $21 per hour. You will most likely start in the lower end or the range.

The average hourly rate for a Costco Cashier’s Assistant is $13. 

Membership Assistant  (Hourly)

The pay range for Membership Assistants at Costco is between $12 and $18 an hour. You can negotiate your wage based on previous experience.

The average pay rate for Membership Assistants at Costco is $14 an hour.

Membership Refund Cashier  (Hourly)

The pay range for Membership Refund Cashiers at Costco is between $10 and $19 an hour. You can negotiate your wage based on previous experience.

The average wage for Membership Refund Cashiers at Costco is $14 an hour.

How Much Experience Do You Need to Work at Costco?

Costco is an entry-level friendly company, and they do hire teen workers. You can apply for a position without any experience and get hired. However, if you do have some work experience, it could get you a higher hourly pay rate and move you faster into supervisory and management positions.

What Should You Wear to a Job Interview at Costco?

When you show up for your interview at Costco, you will want to be dressed in business casual attire. Consider something like a buttoned-down shirt with nice slacks or jeans and dress shoes. 

Costco Interview Questions

The possible questions in a job interview are endless, and it always depends on the interviewer. But, there are some common questions that they often ask. 

Why do you want to work at Costco?

Why are they asking?  

Retail warehouse chains do hire a number of entry-level teen workers. They make an excellent first job for young people to get work experience, and there are a lot of retail options in the market to choose from. If they ask you this question, they want to know what makes Costco stand out over other options like Sam’s Club, Walmart, or Target.

What’s the ideal answer?

There is no wrong answer to this question. Whatever your reason is for applying at Costco, tell them! Maybe you have a friend that works there or you want a career with the company. Whatever your reason is for applying at Costco, just be specific and honest with your answer.

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer and what was the outcome?

Why are they asking?  

When it comes to life in customer service, you will come across your share of upset or difficult customers. If you have prior work experience, they might ask you this question to see how you dealt with the situation because it does come up, and you need to handle it in the best way possible.

What’s the ideal answer?

If you don’t have any experiences with difficult customers, that’s okay. If you do, tell them the story (if you handled it well, and it had a positive outcome). If the situation ended up with you screaming and yelling or getting fired, that’s not a story you want to share.

They want to hear that you did your best to make the difficult customer happy. Or, if you couldn’t fix the problem, you notified a manager and had them help you.

Why should we hire you?

Why are they asking?  

If a manager asks you this question, they are trying to get you to sell yourself. They are wanting to find out how well you can communicate, while being positive and professional. You may not have any previous work experience, but you can still have relevant job skills like verbal and written communication, time-management, money-handling, etc...

What’s the ideal answer?

Know your strengths. If you get asked this question, tell them how you will benefit their business. They want to hear that you have good verbal communication skills, have a friendly and upbeat demeanor, and can give good customer service. 

Tell them that you are a reliable worker who will show up to work on time for every scheduled shift. And, if you are interested in a long-term career with the company, definitely let them know because there is a lot of opportunity for advancement.

Benefits of Working at Costco 

All Costco employees receive an employee discount on merchandise. After a probationary period, benefits are for both full-time and part-time workers.

Benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Paid Time Off and Sick Days
• Paid Vacation and Holidays
• 401(k) & Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Training & Development Opportunities
• Flexible Hours

What it’s Like to Work at Costco