There is a number that defines Costco's relationship with its workforce in 2026 more clearly than any other: $31.90. That is the top-of-scale hourly wage paid to Costco's senior clerks in the United States — the result of a landmark three-year employee agreement that delivered a $1 per hour increase in March 2025, with guaranteed additional $1 increases locked in for both March 2026 and March 2027. Entry-level positions start at $20 per hour. Bottom-of-scale clerks earn $21 p