Costco Is a Great Place to Shop. Is It Also a Great Place to Work?

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As a self-proclaimed Costco superfan, I'm interested in pretty much every aspect of how the store is run. If Costco offered a 90-minute webinar on how it sources its inventory, I'd watch it. So whenever I meet someone who works at Costco, I always make a point to ask about their experience.

Not so long ago, I was waiting to pick my daughter up from a birthday party that was running a bit over its scheduled time, and I found myself standing next to a woman in a Costco shirt. "Are you an employee?" I asked her. "Or just a fan?"

It turned out she was, indeed, a Costco employee, so I asked about her experience. And she only had great things to say. Not only was she happy with her pay and benefits, but she said that what really made Costco stand out among the numerous retailers she's worked for was how well employees were treated and respected.

If you're in the market for a job -- whether it's a part-time or full-time role -- you may want to look into working for Costco. Here's a rundown of what to expect.

The pay

Costco offers competitive wages. But what's even more helpful is that wage increases are based on accumulated hours. In other words, the more you work at Costco, the more you can get paid. Tenured hourly employees also get additional compensation twice a year (meaning, a bonus) based on how many years of service they've put in.

Payscale reports that the average hourly wage for Costco employees is $19.05 per hour. So for a 40-hour workweek, that's $762 weekly. For a 50-week work year, it's about $38,000 annually.

However, the wage you might earn at Costco is likely to hinge on your location and experience. And remember, you may get a nice bonus or two on top of your hourly rate.

The benefits

Costco employees can enjoy a host of benefits that include:

• Health insurance
• Dental and vision coverage
• Life insurance
• 401(k) plan access
• Paid sick and vacation time, plus paid holidays

Costco also offers different programs to support its workers' physical, emotional, and financial well-being.

Career development

Costco has a tendency to promote from within. The retailer says that the vast majority of its warehouse club managers began their careers as hourly Costco workers.

Costco also offers a number of training and development programs. And it offers scholarships to qualifying part-time and full-time employees seeking undergraduate degrees.

Should you apply to work at Costco?

That depends on what you're looking for and what skills you have. Even though Costco's wages are competitive, with the right background, you may be able to find a higher-paying job or one that's more flexible (meaning, a role that may have more flexible hours or one you can do remotely).

But if you're new to the workforce or you're looking for some part-time work experience while you finish your studies, then it could very much pay to put in an application with Costco and see what comes of it. You may find that it ends up being a stepping stone to a great career.

We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team. Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .