11 Costco Employee Benefits That Will Make You Want to Work There

For shoppers, Costco gets a lot of things right, including how they treat their employees.

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Costco — the beloved bulk retailer with affordable household goods, prescription medications, a famous hot-dog-and-soda combo, and plenty of ways to save money shopping — attracts many new workers each year.

The stores are big and need many annual and seasonal employees. Despite their size, Costco‘s employees rate it highly on several job sites.

Anyone considering working at Costco should know what it offers beyond the salary. Here are 11 of the best benefits that the company provides its employees.

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Above minimum wage salary

It pays to work at Costco. As of August 2024, the average hourly wage for Costco employees was $22.20.

More specialized roles at the optical center and pharmacy can make even more money per hour.

Free memberships to the store

Yes, that is plural. Although Costco employees don't get discounts on items in each store, all employees get four free memberships, one for themselves and three for people of their choosing. Each membership is good for a year.

Customers must pay to become a member, and that starts at $60 per year. While that's not extravagant when stretched out over 365 days, it's still an upfront cost before purchasing a single item.

Variety of health benefits

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According to job search site Zippia, eligible part- and full-time Costco employees can receive health insurance benefits from the company.

The plan — which employees report is affordable — includes dental and vision coverage. Remember, there are optometrists in Costco stores.

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Seasonal work options

Although many of the perks go to full-time employees, Costco also needs seasonal employees each year. As demand picks up during the holidays, more people are needed on the floor and in the warehouse.

The seasonal hiring period generally starts in October and ends in January, with new employees on a 90-day probationary period.

Extra pay on Sundays

Base pay at Costco is good, but there are weekly chances for employees to make more. Costco operates on a time-and-a-half pay structure on Sundays. That means each hour an employee works they earn 50% more.

No matter how many hours an employee works during the week, they earn more per hour when working on a Sunday. So the employees you see there on one of the busiest days of the week are earning extra.

Turkey time

Redditors report that all employees get a free turkey in the holiday season, available from “mid-November through Christmas,” according to an employee.

That starts the holiday shopping season off right. Employees who don't need a turkey can also donate theirs to charities.

Bonuses, bonuses

Reports on Indeed.com mention employee bonuses of $2,000 or more semi-annually, depending on the employee‘s department and experience with the company.

The annual bonuses may be even higher, again depending on experience and department, and are a great way to make some extra money.

Retirement options

According to Zippia, Costco matches 50% of an employee's annual 401(k) contributions, with a maximum company contribution of $500.

And for employees with 10 or more years of service, health insurance benefits can carry over into retirement.

Promotion opportunities

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Reports on Indeed and Glassdoor mention an employee mentorship program and opportunities to train and learn more significant roles at Costco.

While some departments, such as the optical and pharmacy sections, require specialized education or certification for specific roles, not every department does.

How long it takes to advance varies by position and other factors, but employees can move up the ranks. The company itself notes that 70% of its warehouse managers started out as hourly employees.

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Time off

Staff at Costco are eligible for paid time off and paid sick leave, according to Zippia. Vacation hours, to a certain extent, reportedly can roll over to the next calendar year.

For new mothers, there are eight weeks of paid and two weeks of unpaid maternity leave.

Holidays

Beyond the company's paid time off and sick leave policies, Costco guarantees its staff eight paid holidays off, including the big ones of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day, and Labor Day.

There's also a floating paid holiday to allow employees to observe a day that’s meaningful to them (e.g., Juneteenth, Indigenous Peoples Day, Veterans Day).

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Bottom line

Costco offers plenty of immediate and long-term benefits to its employees. Anyone considering applying for a job at Costco should consider all that the store offers, even if it's just for a seasonal job to make extra money around the holidays.

Looking to see what positions are hiring? The company's careers page is regularly updated with new roles.

Regardless of where they want to work, job hunters should research a company's salary, benefits, and culture to help them decide if it's the best move to help them build wealth.

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