Costco hires for the holidays at some warehouses, not all, and not every year. Its applying guide describes no separate seasonal program, its annual report says the company uses seasonal employees, and warehouse staff say the fall wave depends on the building.
That makes the useful question smaller than “is Costco hiring seasonal workers?” Will the warehouse near you hire anyone at all this fall, and where does a part-time start lead? That’s what you can actually plan around. The sections below separate what Costco has put in writing from what employees report, and every figure carries its source and date.
Comparing employers? See all seasonal employers compared.
What Costco says about seasonal jobs
Costco’s Resources for Applying page says its locations “hire throughout the year, not only during seasonal periods.” It adds that online applications expire after 90 days. The page doesn’t list a holiday class of workers, a separate pay rate or a start date, so you won’t find a seasonal application to fill out.
The annual report is more direct. In its 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2025, Costco states that it also uses seasonal employees, in the same human-capital section that sets a target of at least 50% of its employee base working full time. It gives no seasonal headcount, so any number you see for how many holiday workers Costco hires is somebody’s guess.
One more caution comes from Costco’s own postings. The San Juan Capistrano listing, updated July 2026, says the jobs shown are examples of positions Costco “may hire for when openings exist” and that a listing doesn’t mean a seat is open today.
Seasonal jobs at Costco this fall: what warehouses are doing
Employees don’t agree on whether this fall brings a wave, and they shouldn’t, because the decision sits with each warehouse and region. On r/CostcoWholesale on September 30, 2026, one commenter said their Atlanta-area building was interviewing for seasonals already. Another said interviews at their store run mid to late October, with a first orientation on November 14. A third said every region differs and depends on what the regional VP and payroll allow.
“You’re assuming they’re even going to hire seasonals. Ive been at mine since opening 16 years now. This is second year in a row we’re not hiring any, and its not because we don’t need the help…”
– r/CostcoWholesale, October 1, 2026
That matches an August 2026 thread on r/CostcoEmployee, where a commenter said quite a few warehouses skipped seasonal hiring in 2025 after doing it for years.
Where seasonals were hired, the stories about who stayed vary wildly. A commenter on r/CostcoEmployee in October 2025 said an old warehouse brought on 40 seasonals and kept about 4. A commenter in August 2026 said their store hires 50 to 70 and kept 10 last year. Those are two memories, not Costco data. They show a spread, and they show the outcome is local. So what should you do with that? Treat a seasonal offer as a bonus and the part-time application as the real goal.
What the job pays and what hours to expect
Costco links a pay-range PDF from its postings, and the file’s title carries the date 07.14.26. It lists $20.00 an hour as the minimum for Cashier Assistant, Member Service Assistant, Food Service Assistant and Stocker, and $21.00 for Cashier (Front End). Those are the posted minimums for each title, and Costco doesn’t print a separate seasonal or part-time rate. How the scale climbs after day one is covered in our Costco starting pay guide.
Hours are the harder question. Costco’s applying guide says to be ready for its busy hours, typically nights and weekends, and that merchandise stocking happens in the early morning. The July 2026 posting adds that open availability is needed apart from religious or disability considerations. Can you cover a 5 AM stocking shift and a Saturday close in the same month? If you can’t, say so up front, because you’ll be scheduled around that answer.
Employees warn that holiday hours are front-loaded. A commenter on r/Costco in November 2025 said everyone’s hours were cut drastically around the beginning of January, seasonal or not.
How part-time turns into full-time at Costco
Everyone starts part-time. Costco’s applying guide says most candidates are hired into part-time, entry-level jobs such as front end assistant, food court, member service and merchandise stocking. The 10-K sets the destination, a target of at least 50% full-time employees and a commitment to promoting from within, but it publishes no rule for how many hours or months a conversion takes. Anyone who quotes you a timeline is relaying one warehouse’s habits.
So what do employees say about staying on? They describe a performance game with luck in it, and one commenter on r/Costco in November 2025, with 44 upvotes, put the basics bluntly.
“It’s not guaranteed into a part-time position unless they need you right after the holidays. To secure future hiring follow these two simple steps: Step 1: DON’T CALL OFF AND DON’T BE LATE Step 2: DON’T CALL OFF AND DON’T BE LATE Not getting picked up after the holidays are common. But a good seasonal performance will easily bring you back to the location’s next hiring cycle.”
– r/Costco, November 2025 (44 upvotes)
Other commenters in those threads added three tactics. Ask to learn as many departments as you can. Start early in the season, since you’re mostly there to cover time if you’re hired in mid-November to December, in one commenter’s words. Watch the break room for posted openings and cross-training. Another commenter said a seasonal group was let go one year, hours dropped in early January, and a laid-off worker reapplied in the next hiring pool, which the commenter guessed ran around March or April, and was hired again.
Full-time straight off the street is a long shot. In April 2026, commenters on r/CostcoEmployee said you won’t get full time from outside the company, and that part-time is the realistic way in.
Other ways in, and a plan for this month
The people handing out samples aren’t Costco employees. Costco’s career FAQ, published February 20, 2025, says Club Demonstration Services (CDS) is the company that employs the people who provide product samples in its warehouses, and it sends applicants to CDS. CDS describes itself as Costco’s in-house demonstration provider and says it has both part-time and full-time roles. You apply through CDS, and its pay and schedule are its own.
The other way in is timing. Costco’s applying guide says you can apply to new locations under construction about 12 weeks before they open, and that a warehouse missing from the search for your ZIP code isn’t taking applications yet. A new building has to fill a whole roster at once.
Once you reach a final-applicant stage, expect screening. Costco’s own policy covers drug testing, and our page on whether Costco drug tests walks through it. For the sit-down itself, see the Costco interview questions.
For the application itself, work through these in order.
- Apply online to every warehouse you could realistically reach, for any entry-level title, rather than only cashier.
- Introduce yourself to a manager at the warehouse you want. Costco’s guide says each warehouse receives hundreds of applications and that this is how to stand out.
- Call or visit for updates. Costco’s FAQ says application updates aren’t sent by email or messaging apps, so contact the location directly.
- Reapply at 90 days if you haven’t heard back, since the online application expires.
- If you’re hired, don’t miss shifts, and ask which departments you can learn. Isn’t that the cheapest edge you have?
Age rules vary by role and state, and the Costco posting I read prints no minimum age, so ask the warehouse before assuming either way. Our page on jobs that hire at 16 covers employers that do publish one.
Frequently asked questions
Does Costco hire seasonal workers?
Some warehouses hire seasonal workers, but not every warehouse and not every year. Costco’s fiscal 2025 10-K says it uses seasonal employees, its careers pages describe no seasonal program, and employees said in 2026 that some warehouses hired none the year before.
When does Costco hire for the holidays?
Costco has no company-wide date, and says its warehouses hire throughout the year. Employees on r/CostcoWholesale said in September 2026 that one store would interview mid to late October with a first orientation on November 14, while another said seasonal hiring starts in early November.
How do you go from part-time to full-time at Costco?
Costco publishes no conversion rule. Its 10-K targets at least 50% full-time employees and promotion from within, and employees say the route is to start part-time, show up reliably, learn several departments and apply for postings.
How much do Costco part-time employees make?
Costco’s pay-range PDF, dated 07.14.26 in its file title, lists $20.00 an hour as the minimum for assistant and stocker titles and $21.00 for Cashier (Front End). It prints no separate part-time rate, and your warehouse’s posting sets your actual start.