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

To get a job at Kroger as a stocking associate or fresh associate you must be at least 18 years old.  For a courtesy clerk position (bagger, cart retriever, cashier) you must be at least 16 years old. However, in some states, they may hire 14 and 15 year olds with a work permit for the courtesy clerk position.

The Kroger family of companies include stores like City Market, Dillon’s, Food 4 Less, Smith’s, King Soopers, and Mariano’s. All of the following information is relevant for all of these stores.

Teen Jobs at Kroger and Age Requirements

Stocking Associate  (Hourly)

As a stocking associate at Kroger, you will be responsible for stocking merchandise in one of the store’s departments - grocery, home, natural foods, or liquor. This position usually requires evening or overnight hours, and you will label, stock, and inventory department merchandise.

You will also assist with daily, weekly, and monthly price changes by updating signs and shelf tags, stocking aisles, building and maintaining displays, and keeping the back room clean and orderly.

Basic math and communications are necessary for this position.

You must be at least 18 years old to work as a stocking associate at Kroger.

Fresh Associate  (Hourly)

Being a fresh associate at Kroger means that you will work inside one of the fresh departments in the store - meat, produce, seafood, bakery, deli, or coffee shop. You will assist with product packaging, presentation, and rotation. And, you will also assist with marking down old product.

You will also help to maintain proper stock levels, have knowledge of product specials, and receive fresh and pre-packaged deliveries.

To work as a fresh associate at Kroger, you must be at least 18 years old.

Courtesy Clerk  (Hourly)

A courtesy clerk at Kroger works as either a bagger, cart retriever, or cashier. They provide friendly and efficient customer service while processing customer transactions, bagging groceries, or collecting carts in a safe manner.

Courtesy clerks keep the front end of the store clean, and if you are working as a cashier, you must make sure all forms of tender are properly handled, stay current with seasonal ads, and communicate new promotions and programs.

You must be at least 16 years old to be a courtesy clerk at Kroger. However, in some states you can get hired at 14 or 15 if you have a work permit.

Can a 15 Year Old Work at Kroger?

It depends on the state that you live in.  In general, the minimum age to work at Kroger is 16, but some stores do hire 15-year-olds with a work permit. We do have a page on our website specifically for 15-year-olds that you may view for more options.

Can a 16 Year Old Work at Kroger?

The minimum age to work at Kroger is 16, so 16-year-olds can work in any store in the Kroger family. We do have a page on our website specifically for 16-year-olds that you may view for more options.

How Much Does Kroger Pay Part-Time Workers?

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

Stocking Associate (Hourly)

As a stocking associate at Kroger, you will be making somewhere between minimum wage and $15 per hour. If you are coming in at entry-level without any prior experience, then you will most likely be in the lower end of the range.

The average hourly rate for a Kroger stocking associate is $9.

Fresh Associate (Hourly)

The rate of pay for fresh associates is between minimum wage and $15 an hour. If you do not have any prior work experience, chances are you will be on the lower end of the range. But, if you do have some work history, you might be able to negotiate a higher rate.

The average hourly wage for a fresh associate is $9.

Courtesy Clerk (Hourly)

The pay range for courtesy clerks at Kroger is between minimum wage and $13 an hour.  This is an entry-level position, so you will most likely start closer to minimum wage.

The average hourly rate for a courtesy clerk is $8 an hour.

How Much Experience Do You Need to Work at Kroger?

Kroger is an entry-level friendly company, so 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 Kroger?

Kroger is a large grocery store chain, so when you show up for your interview you will want to be dressed in business casual attire.  Consider something like a buttoned-down shirt with nice slacks and dress shoes. You do not want to show up too casual in a t-shirt and jeans.

Kroger 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 do often ask.

At Kroger, you could be part of a group interview, or you might get an individual interview with a manager.  Here are some questions that they have been known to ask during interviews.

What work experience do you have and what hours are you available?

Why are they asking?  

This is a basic question that you will find in just about every job interview for an hourly position in retail. They ask this question because they want to know about your work history and if your availability matches their scheduling needs.

What’s the ideal answer?

The interviewer wants to hear that you can work a flexible schedule that will include nights and weekends. If you do have other obligations like school or extracurricular activities that affect your availability, definitely let them know.

As for your work experience, just be honest. If Kroger would be your first job, that’s fine. If you have prior work experience, be prepared to share where you have worked, how long you worked there, what your responsibilities were, and why you left.

Tell me about a time you made a customer happy.

Why are they asking?  

If you have some previous work experience in customer service (restaurant or retail), they could possibly ask you this question. Customer service is the most important part of the job, so they want to know examples of how you have given good customer service in the past.

What’s the ideal answer?

Honesty is the ideal answer. Don’t make something up. Be prepared with a personal example of giving customer service that went above and beyond. If you don’t have a specific example, you can spin your answer by saying that you give every customer friendly and efficient service, and all of your customers are happy.

What can you offer this company?

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. Plus, they want to know what job skills you have.

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 above average verbal communication skills, good math skills, have a friendly and upbeat demeanor, and can give excellent customer service.

Tell them that you are a reliable worker who will show up to work on time for every scheduled shift. If you are interested in a career with the company, definitely let them know.

Benefits of Working at Kroger

Everyone who works at Kroger gets a merchandise discount.  However, the benefits they offer are for full-time workers only.

Benefits include:

• Paid time off, paid holidays, and paid sick days
• Vacation
• 401K, Pension Plan, and Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• On-Site healthcare
• Life & Disability Insurance

What it’s Like to Work at Kroger

How to Apply at Kroger

If you are interested in working at Kroger, you can apply directly on the company website, which is the most accurate source for up-to-date job listings at every store in the Kroger family. You can fill out your application online, and it will be sent to the specific store you are applying to.

The process will take about 20 minutes, and a store representative will contact you once they receive your application.