Trader Joe’s has perhaps the most upbeat and quirky corporate persona of any American grocery retailer, and it boasts a cult-like following of devoted customers due to its approachable atmosphere and delectable product range. Shoppers favor the Aldi-owned brand’s small but whimsical neighborhood stores for their low prices, diverse range of unique private-label products, and friendly Hawaiian-shirt-clad staff.
Interestingly, Trader Joe’s offers a fraction of the total number of products held in a traditional grocery store; most TJ’s locations stock about 2,000–3,000 total SKUs at any given time, whereas a typical grocer like Safeway or Kroger might stock between 25,000 and 30,000.
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Nevertheless, the products the chain does offer — especially its eclectic, store-brand offerings like Vegan Tikka Masala and Kung Pao Tempura Cauliflower — are well-loved by the brand’s devotees due to their variety and uniqueness. Sample stations offering small cups of coffee alongside bite-sized portions of dishes featuring new products and seasonal items add to the allure of the Trader Joe’s shopping experience.
It’s no wonder that the casual island vibe, small stores, and modest stock list attract a plethora of job-seekers to Trader Joe’s, which has over 50,000 employees and 560 retail locations across the U.S. as of 2023. But how much is the starting pay? What does the benefits package look like? And does the Hawaiian shirt come with the job?
Working on the ship: The Trader Joe’s store hierarchy explained
Trader Joe’s is a unique employer in the grocery landscape in that workers’ roles aren’t very strictly defined — employees aren’t usually assigned to specific departments, and everyone who works there does a little bit of everything. Oh, and all of the job titles are sailing metaphors.
Here’s a breakdown of the store hierarchy, from crew to captain:
Crew
Most who start working at Trader Joe’s begin as Crew Members and usually wear Trader Joe’s t-shirts with the brand’s signature floral motif, although some may wear button-up Hawaiian shirts. Crew Members are jacks of all trades, so to speak — they interact with customers, work as cashiers, stock and face items, unload deliveries, break down pallets, and do whatever else needs doing. All hands on deck!
Merchant
A Merchant is essentially a Crew Member with a customer service focus. They are employees who know the store and its products inside-out and are readily available to answer any customer queries. Merchants almost always wear a collared, short-sleeve, button-up Hawaiian shirt and may have a higher pay cap or be eligible for more benefits than a typical Crew Member.
Typically, Merchants work during open hours rather than opening or closing shifts, and they have the same duties and responsibilities as other crew members but prioritize customer service and customer interaction over other duties.
Interestingly, most TJ’s stores have discontinued the Merchant position, but Merchants can still be found in certain locations. In some cases, a Captain or Mate (more on these soon) may step down from their post and into the Merchant role.
Mate
Trader Joe’s describes Mates as “assistant store leaders.” They train crew members, assign duties, and pick up slack wherever they are needed. Most Mates (78%) are internally promoted Crew Members, usually with two or more years of experience, but some are hired externally without having first been a Crew Member.
Most stores have between 8 and 12 total mates, with 3 to 4 working at any given time. In many cases, difficult tasks like write-ups and dismissals are tasked to Mates, while in other cases, store Captains handle these sorts of issues.
Captain
Each store has a single Captain, who is always a former Mate promoted from within. Captains are essentially store managers and are tasked with overseeing their store’s strategy and operations and developing and directing their crew with the help of their Mates.
Captains are typically expected to be in their store around 50 hours per week and be on-call for store “emergencies” at all times, although according to Trader Joe’s Crew Members, some Captains are much more hands-on than others, and many don’t come into the store nearly as often as might be expected. Some Captains handle hiring and firing, while others delegate these tasks to their Mates.
How much does Trader Joe’s pay?
Starting pay for a Crew Member at Trader Joe’s varies by experience and location, and starting wages tend to be a bit higher in areas with higher costs of living. Mates and Captains earn more than Crew Members, and administrative office positions, which are few, typically come with even higher pay.
Below are starting pay ranges for jobs the company had available in a variety of locations as of November 2023.
Crew
Starting pay for Crew Members varies geographically but typically falls somewhere between $15 and $22 per hour. According to the company’s website, performance reviews are conducted twice a year, and employees could earn pay raises of around 7% annually.
Here are some actual starting pay ranges for positions listed on TJ’s careers site in November 2023:
- Boston, MA: $17.00-20.00 per hour
- Burlington, VT: $16.00-21.00 per hour
- Davis, CA: $17.00-22.00 per hour
- Denver, CO: $18.00-20.00 per hour
- Scottsdale, AZ: $17.00-19.00 per hour
- Little Rock, AK: $14.00-18.00 per hour
- Washington, DC: $17.00-19.00 per hour
Mate
Starting wages for mates also vary but typically land somewhere in the $24 to $32 per hour range.
- Ardmore, PA: $24.00-28.00 per hour
- Huntsville, AL: $24.00-28.00 per hour
- Indianapolis, IN: $24.00-26.00 per hour
- Ithaca, NY: $24.00-30.00 per hour
- Lafayette, CA: $27.00-31.00 per hour
- Minneapolis, MN: $24.00-29.00 per hour
- Pinole, CA: $27.00-32.00 per hour
Captain
Trader Joe’s doesn’t list open Captain positions on its careers website, so we have to turn to other sources for salary estimates.
Career website Glassdoor, which estimates average salaries based on user data, pins the average store Captain salary at around $79,000, but this is likely inaccurate, as both Trader Joe’s employees and Business Insider have indicated that the pay is much higher.
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Multiple Reddit users on the subreddit r/TJCrew — a message board used by current, former, and prospective Trader Joe’s employees — claimed in late 2023 that all store Captains nationwide get a base salary of $130,000 per year regardless of location and are eligible for performance-based bonuses on top of that.
On the other hand, a summer 2023 article in Business Insider states that store Captains can earn a base salary of $104,756 plus bonuses that average around $16,351, landing total annual compensation at about $121,000.
Office and administrative roles
While the vast majority of TJ’s employees work in one of the chain's many local grocery stores, the company does hire office and administrative staff, many of whom work from the company’s offices at its Monrovia, California headquarters or in its Massachusetts offices.
Most Trader Joe’s office roles are exempt salaried positions, but certain positions are non-exempt and receive an hourly wage. Here are a few examples of office jobs that were open as of November 2023 and their starting salary ranges:
- Sr. Accounts Payable Clerk (CA): $20.00-30.00 per hour
- Business License And Accounting Coordinator (CA): $25.00-40.00 per hour
- Replenishment Produce Buyer (MA): $75,000-85,000 per year
- Workers' Compensation Supervisor (CA): $65,000-95,000
- Human Resources Generalist (CA): $80,000-95,000
- Inventory & Operations Planning Manager (CA): $100,000-150,000
- Senior Accounting Manager (CA): $135,000-175,000 per year
What benefits does Trader Joe’s offer employees?
Trader Joe’s is well-known for retaining employees—sometimes for decades. In 2022, TJ’s was ranked the third-best large employer in retail and wholesale by Forbes. In 2019, company president Jon Basalone stated “we’ve been around for over 50 years, and we’ve never had layoffs … with the pay, benefits and supportive, fun environment … people tend to want to stick around.”
Here’s a closer look at some of the main benefits and perks TJ’s employees get.
Health benefits
Trader Joe’s employees who work an average of at least 28 hours per week are eligible for employer-sponsored health, dental, and vision insurance, reportedly with very affordable premiums (the company foots the bulk of the bill).
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Health benefits
Trader Joe’s employees who work an average of at least 28 hours per week are eligible for employer-sponsored health, dental, and vision insurance, reportedly with very affordable premiums (the company foots the bulk of the bill).
On career websites like Glassdoor and message boards like r/TJCrew, many current and former employees report that the health insurance options offered by the grocery chain are the best they’ve come across in an hourly service position in terms of cost and coverage. According to the company’s website, employee premiums can be as low as $25 per month.
Financial benefits
Trader Joe’s, like many employers, offers a tax-advantaged sponsored 401(k) retirement savings account. Apparently, employees who work 700 or more hours in a year are eligible for a 401(k) bonus from the company regardless of employee contributions. The exact amount is unclear, but some sources report that the company contributes the equivalent of up to 10% of an employee’s annual pay, which is very high compared to most employer contributions, especially considering that matching employee contributions are not required.
These contributions, however, must vest over time before they can be withdrawn, and as with all 401(k) accounts, early withdrawals, even of fully vested employer contributions, are prone to penalty fees.
Time off
According to the company’s website, Trader Joe’s contributes “3.6% to 7.5% (based on tenure) to each Crew Member’s paid time-off account — or around 5 to 10 days a year.” Earned PTO does not expire, so employees who want to can save it up for lengthy periods of leave.
Other perks
According to TJ’s website, employees get a store discount up to 20% that is valid at all store locations. Crew Members also get a complimentary membership pass to a variety of gyms via their health insurance. According to many current and past employees, free food and staff tastings are common, and scheduling is relatively flexible in most cases.
What are the requirements to work at Trader Joe’s?
While jobs at Trader Joe’s are fairly accessible, relatively speaking, there are some requirements that could preclude some individuals from consideration. First, applicants must be at least 18 years of age and hold a high school diploma or equivalent to be considered, so younger aspiring grocers may have to wait a few years, and adults without a high school diploma may need to pass their GED before applying.
Additionally, Crew Members are expected to be friendly and talkative and must possess excellent customer service skills, so those who aren’t fond of face-to-face customer interaction may not do well on the job. Crew Members also regularly have to unload and stock products, break down boxes and pallets, and lift heavy packages, so those with certain physical limitations could find the job difficult.
What are the downsides to working at Trader Joe’s?
Most complaints about working at TJ’s fall into one of two categories — physical strain or mental exhaustion.
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Crew members and mates are on their feet, lifting, stocking, bagging, and ringing customers up, and many report soreness and physical exhaustion, especially during their first month or so on the job. Others tire more easily of the customer interaction that is such a central part of the brand’s identity. As anyone who has worked in retail knows, putting on a happy and excitable demeanor for hours at a time is no easy task, and occasionally, the pressure to do so can cause significant mental strain.
For those who like movement, exercise, and interpersonal interaction, Trader Joe’s could be a wonderful place to work, but for individuals who struggle with physical and interpersonal exertion, the Trader Joe’s Crew may not be the perfect fit.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Below are answers to some of the most common questions prospective applicants have about working at Trader Joe’s that were not addressed in the sections above.
What does it mean when the bell rings at Trader Joe’s?
Those who have shopped at TJ’s have probably noticed that while intercom announcements are noticeably absent, ringing bells are common. The use of a bell instead of an intercom actually ties into the brand’s nautical theme — sailors and seafaring merchants used to use bells to communicate over the roar of the seas.
When the bell rings once, it signals that a Crew Member should open an additional register. When it rings twice, it means a customer has a question that needs answering. Three rings of the bell summons a Mate to the register.
Four bells, according to some employees, unofficially indicates a rush and means “all hands on deck!”
Why do Trader Joe’s employees wear Hawaiian shirts?
While many Crew Members at TJ’s don’t wear full-on button-up Hawaiian shirts — many just wear the brand’s flower-branded t-shirts — Merchants, Mates, and Captains almost always do. Unsurprisingly, the employee attire is also a nod to the brand’s nautical theme, which was inspired in part by the book "White Shadows in the South Seas" according to the company’s late founder, Joe Coulombe, for whom Trader Joe’s is named.
The brand’s website refers to its Crew Members as “adventurous traders on the culinary seas,” and the Hawaiian shirts are just one more way to add to the stores’ whimsical, nautical allure.
Is Trader Joe’s open on holidays?
Trader Joe’s stores are closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas each year, meaning all Crew Members get these days off.
