Costco is a big-box retail store that sells everything from groceries to household goods.
One of the things it’s known for is having extremely low prices.
If you shop at Costco often enough, then you may wonder what it’s like to work there and if it would be a good job or not.
Here are 10 reasons why working at Costco is a good choice, including benefits like high pay, paid time off, and healthcare coverage.
Is Costco A Good Job? (10 Reasons It Is)
1. Above Minimum Wage Pay
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons working at Costco is great is because of its pay.
Costco recently raised the minimum pay for its workers from $15 to $17 an hour.
That means that, in most cases, no matter what role you get hired to perform, you won’t be making below $17 an hour.
Whether you’re a stocker, a cashier, or simply working in one of the departments, you’re going to get paid more than at other retailers.
That’s a huge deal for someone who works in retail.
One of the primary problems that people working in retail have is that they’re often not paid enough to cover their bills.
As a result, they have to take on a second job, find a way to work more hours, or quit and find a better-paying job elsewhere.
The problem with quitting is that this increases the store’s turnover rate.
A high turnover rate means that the store is likely losing money.
Any time a new employee gets hired, the store has to spend time and money to hire and train that new employee.
If they have a high turnover rate, then this is something that they must do constantly.
Costco is aware of the costs associated with turnover rates and losing employees.
To encourage employees to stay with them, they ensure that they pay above the standard minimum wage.
At the very least, Costco tends to pay more than other big-box retailers.
If you already work in retail, then it’s worth working at Costco because you’ll be doing the same job but getting paid more to do it.
2. Free Membership
Costco is like Sam’s Club in that you need a membership to shop there.
You must bring your card or show that you’re a member in some other way to buy your groceries and items.
If you’re not a member, then you’re not allowed to shop at the store.
Costco has two membership levels available.
They have the basic Gold Star membership and the Executive membership.
The Executive membership gives you a few more bonuses, but it’s also double what you’d pay for the Gold Star membership.
The Gold Star membership costs $60 a year.
The Executive membership costs $120 a year.
The great thing about working at Costco is that employees get a Gold Star membership for free.
That means you don’t have to pay $60 a year to shop at Costco.
You get all those great savings for free, more or less.
The downside is that you don’t get an employee discount on the items that you buy.
However, the membership allows you to shop at a store with incredibly low prices, anyway.
By working at Costco, you’re able to save $60 on your membership bill every year.
While $60 may not seem like much in the long run, it’s still money that you save.
Another benefit of being a Costco employee is that you’re not the only one who gets a free membership.
You also get three other free membership cards that you can give to friends or family.
All these individuals get to enjoy the cheap prices at Costco, too, without having to pay $60 a year.
Working at Costco is a great job because you’re able to get a free membership for yourself and others.
3. Healthcare Benefits
One of the most important aspects of working somewhere is how they handle healthcare benefits.
With medical costs higher than ever, it’s worth considering how a company is willing to help you when it comes to paying for health insurance or medical costs.
The great thing about Costco is that they have a competitive healthcare benefits system.
Some retail companies only offer health insurance for full-time employees.
That leaves those who need to work part-time out of the loop.
That isn’t the case at Costco.
Costco offers healthcare coverage for both full-time and part-time employees.
They do have a few qualifications that you need to meet before being able to apply for their health insurance coverage, however.
For one, you need to work 180 consecutive days for the company.
That also includes working for more than 23 hours a week.
As such, if you’re working part-time and work less than 23 hours a week, then you might not be able to get coverage.
Once you do qualify, you’ll find that Costco offers affordable healthcare insurance plans.
You can go as cheap or as expensive as you want to depending on the type of coverage that you want to have.
Another great aspect of Costco’s healthcare coverage is that it includes both dental and vision care.
Not every health insurance policy covers dental and vision.
This is great for someone who has vision problems or needs regular dentist visits.
It’s also great for those who prioritize preventative health.
Another great benefit of working at Costco is that you’re able to take advantage of the fact that the store has a pharmacy and an optometrist.
You can get your medications and handle your vision care all in one place.
You’ll get cheap prices and it’s easy to schedule those visits into your day since you work right there.
Working at Costco is a great job because of its healthcare coverage.
4. They Offer Seasonal Work
Whether you need to work more or you just want to give working at Costco a try, you may want to consider seasonal work.
The holiday season is the busiest season for retail stores.
Costco is no different.
Thanks to its low prices, the store will cater to many customers looking to get gifts at discounted prices.
To keep up with demand, Costco has to hire more employees between the months of October and January.
This is great for people who are looking to make extra money for the holiday season.
Whether you want to work part-time or full-time as a seasonal worker, you can experience all that Costco has to offer.
It’s also a great way to get your foot in the door if you want to apply for a higher position at Costco later in the year.
They can see how hard you worked during their busiest season and decide whether you have what it takes to start working in a new position.
Those who already work at Costco can also pick up more hours during the holiday season to earn even more money.
Not every store hires seasonal workers.
Some retail businesses prefer that their regular employees pick up the slack and work extra hard.
Costco supports its regular employees by taking on seasonal workers every year.
For those who are on the fence about working at Costco full-time, working as a seasonal worker might be just what you need to get a glimpse of what it’s like to work for the store.
If you like what you see, then you can always apply for a full-time position after the holiday season is over.
If you don’t like it, then you can look forward to finishing your role once the holiday season ends.
Costco is a great place to work because it hires seasonal workers.
5. Get Paid Extra On Sunday
Costco knows that a lot of people like to take Sundays off from work.
It’s often considered a day of rest.
Those who practice organized religion prefer to spend their Sundays attending services or performing charity work.
Some families like to spend Sundays together to just relax or do a fun activity.
To encourage more employees to work over the weekend, Costco pays more on Sundays.
Costco pays time-and-a-half to any employee who works on Sunday.
It doesn’t matter how many hours you’ve already worked.
Since it’s time-and-a-half, each employee is earning 50% more than their usual pay.
One of the reasons Costco pays more on Sundays, besides knowing that people want to take it off, is that it happens to be one of the stores’ busiest days.
Costco is busiest on Saturdays and Sundays.
Saturdays are busy since a lot of people are off work and need to stock up for the week.
They may also be hosting special events that require more food than usual or party items.
Sunday is busy because those who didn’t get to shop on Saturday need to do so before the workweek begins.
A lot of people also go shopping after attending church or other religious services.
Because it’s busy, Costco needs a solid workforce to handle all the customers.
By paying more on Sunday, Costco believes that its employees are more likely to volunteer to work on Sunday rather than call in sick or take the day off.
If you’re someone who wants to earn a bit of extra money each week, then you can do so by working on Sundays at Costco.
Costco is a good place to work because they pay extra for those who work on Sundays.
6. Free Turkey During The Holidays
Another great benefit of working at Costco is the fact that you’re able to get free food.
Once a year, during the holiday season, you’re able to get a free turkey from Costco.
It’s a way for the store to thank its employees.
The company also understands how difficult it can sometimes be to get your hands on a turkey.
This is especially true for a holiday like Thanksgiving.
By having a free turkey meal available, employees don’t have to worry about going out and buying one.
If you’re planning a big family event, then getting a free turkey meal can even save you money.
Even if you need to go buy another one, you’re still getting one turkey free which helps you save money.
Costco is also aware that not everyone wants or needs a free turkey meal.
If you know that you’re not going to use it, then you can have Costco donate yours to someone less fortunate.
This is a great way to give back if you know you don’t need the free turkey.
Otherwise, it’s a small, but touching, benefit of working at Costco.
7. Two Annual Bonuses
Even though Costco pays its employees quite well, they further support employees monetarily by offering two bonuses throughout the year.
Employees get a bonus every six months.
The first occurs within six months of working at Costco and the second, which counts as an annual bonus, occurs after working there for a year.
The bonuses start small.
However, the longer you work at Costco, the bigger your bonus becomes.
That’s because they base the bonus amount on tenure.
If you’ve worked at the company for years, then you can expect a pretty hefty bonus.
If you’re only worked for the company for a year or two, then your bonus will be small.
You’ll still get a bonus, but it won’t be as large as someone who has worked at the company for decades.
This encourages employees to stick with Costco.
The longer you’re a worker there, the bigger the benefits become.
It’s also helpful for those who need a bit of extra cash now and then.
For example, if you’re planning some home renovations in the future, then those bonuses can help you save up.
Maybe you’re trying to buy your first home.
Those bonuses can add up and help you save money for your down payment.
Bonuses can help cover bills, debts, and can even be used on a fun splurge.
You can choose to use your Costco bonuses however you like.
That’s another reason why working at the company is great.
Not every retail store gives you bonuses.
Even fewer give longer-tenured employees more money to thank them for their loyalty.
Costco is a good place to work because you get two bonuses each year that are based on how long you’ve been an employee.
8. Retirement Support
Another benefit that you shoulder consider when deciding whether to work somewhere is how they support your retirement.
A company that doesn’t offer any sort of retirement advantage isn’t an ideal choice.
That’s especially true in the retail sector where you’re not always able to make enough money to put toward retirement.
The great thing about Costco is that it matches 50% of your 401(k) contributions.
This match is capped at $500 per year.
This is a great way to boost your 401(k) and maximize how much you put away for retirement each year.
You may find that you’re able to retire earlier than you thought.
With careful planning, you could have a very comfortable retirement.
Costco also further benefits employees who have worked for them for 10 years or longer.
They offer healthcare benefits to older employees who have worked with them for at least a decade.
Considering that healthcare becomes more and more important as you age, this is critical for older employees who need to watch their budgets.
Costco is a good place to work because they help support your retirement plans.
9. Paid Leave
Retail can take its toll on your physical and mental health.
Costco understands that and supports its employees by giving them plenty of opportunities to take paid leave.
The one stipulation is that you need to have worked at least 90 days to start accumulating paid leave.
There are many types of leave options that Costco offers.
You can take standard paid time off without a reason.
You can take paid sick days when you’re feeling ill or need a mental health break.
They even have paid vacation leave.
Another important type of leave is maternity leave.
Costco will pay for up to six weeks of maternity leave.
If you get called in for jury duty, then the company will also pay for the time you spend doing that.
Costco is a good place to work because it provides plenty of opportunities to take time off and still get paid for it.
10. Weekly Schedules In Advance
One of the problems of working in retail is that you never know what your schedule is going to be.
Managers tend to change things up every week.
You might have one day off one week, then have a different day off the next week.
It can cause making plans to become difficult, if not impossible.
Costco tries to fix this problem by having their managers produce schedules two weeks in advance.
Employees know exactly when they work in advance so they can plan accordingly.
Costco is a good place to work because it helps you plan your life around your work.
Conclusion
Costco has a reputation for having low prices.
Despite its low prices, the company can pay its workers above what other retailers pay their employees.
You can enjoy all the benefits above and more when you work at Costco.
