Tier M / Mass Retail Hourly
Costco Wholesale starting pay and pay schedule
Costco Wholesale pay — verified fact
Costco's 2025 Annual Report says Costco increased starting wage to at least $20.00 for all entry-level positions in the U.S. and Canada, increased the top of wage scales by $1.00 per hour, and reported an average hourly rate of approximately $32.00 per hour for U.S. hourly employees at the end of fiscal 2025. Costco's Why Costco page says hourly wages increase based on accumulated hours, tenured hourly employees receive additional compensation twice a year based on years of service, supervisors and managers receive additional compensation for leadership roles, full-time and part-time employees have guaranteed minimum scheduled hours, and weekly schedules are posted at least three weeks in advance.
Source: Costco 2025 Annual Report and Why Costco careers page · Tier 1 · accessed 2026-06-21
Costco Wholesale benchmark snapshot for pay
HireTea scores this Mass Retail Hourly profile as application friction 45; pay transparency 30; assessment clarity 30; source depth 50. For this topic, the main comparison signal is pay transparency at 30/100, which reads as thin.
- Application path: applications start through Costco careers portal with business-area-specific apply hosts; sampled roles used careers-costco.icims.com, pharmacycareers-costco.icims.com, and careers2-en-costco.icims.com; applicants may be asked to complete skills demonstration or business-related test.
- Source signal: 6 fact-sheet sources feed this benchmark, including Costco careers homepage, Costco resources for applying, Costco careers API, Why Costco careers page, Costco 2025 Annual Report.
Should you apply to Costco Wholesale? Decision map
Quick framework for Costco Wholesale pay — branches based on your situation.
❓ Ask recruiter if
- What base pay range, bonus, equity, or commission applies to this employee offer?
📋 Save evidence if
- Background-check disclosures for Costco careers portal with business-area-specific apply hosts; sampled roles used careers-costco.icims.com, pharmacycareers-costco.icims.com, and careers2-en-costco.icims.com (prior addresses, employment dates, contact info) — save these before applying.
- Screenshot of the skills demonstration or business-related test completion screen — proof you finished the screen.
- Academic transcripts and enrollment proof for Employee scholarship funds.
- Posted pay range and the date you saw it — the offer letter must match.
Costco Wholesale employee pay floor check
Company-specific pay context
- Source pay anchor: Costco's 2025 Annual Report says Costco increased starting wage to at least $20.00 for all entry-level positions in the U.S. and Canada, increased the top of wage scales by $1.00 per hour, and reported an average hourly rate of approximately $32.00 per hour for U.S. hourly employees at the end of fiscal 2025.
Use these federal and state wage floors as a legal-floor check, not as a Costco Wholesale wage promise.
| Jurisdiction | Minimum wage | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Federal floor | $7.25/hr | U.S. DOL |
| DC | $17.95/hr | U.S. DOL state table |
| WA | $17.13/hr | U.S. DOL state table |
| CT | $16.94/hr | U.S. DOL state table |
| CA | $16.90/hr | California DIR |
| NY | $16.00-$17.00/hr | New York State |
| NJ | $15.92/hr | U.S. DOL state table |
| OR | $14.05-$16.30/hr | U.S. DOL state table |
| FL | $14.00/hr | U.S. DOL state table |
Company pay source: Costco 2025 Annual Report and Why Costco careers page
Federal and state minimum wage data verified 2026-05-20. Refresh every 90 days.
Sources for this Costco Wholesale guide
- Costco careers homepage
- Costco resources for applying
- Costco careers API
- Why Costco careers page
- Costco 2025 Annual Report
- Costco Pay Ranges PDF
Known limitations
- Verify exact warehouse or business area, local opening status, 90-day application refresh date, department, schedule, role-specific skill demonstration or business test, and location-specific interview flow before relying on one Costco-wide flow.
Tool option
Check whether your resume supports the Costco Wholesale pay band
After you compare Costco Wholesale pay, check whether your resume shows the experience, schedule fit, and role evidence that justify the posting you want. Teal's resume checker can compare your current version against the job description before you spend another application on the wrong fit.
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