How Old Do You Have To Be To Work At Petco?

Petco is one of the biggest companies in the US when it comes to anything pets. From animal adoptions to animal foods, training, grooming, accessories, and rehabilitation, Petco leaves no stone uncovered.  The company was founded in 1965 in California and has evolved over the years to become a multi-million dollar business with branches in several countries including Mexico and Puerto Rico.

As of 2022, Petco has over 1500 physical shops/stores. Besides its physical stores, Petco has a huge online store where customers can order any product and get it delivered to them at home. The company also has an app (Petcoach app), immunization services, as well as veterinary care subscription services.

As you can see, from all indications, Petco is a big-time company. Working for a world-renowned successful pet company like Petco would be quite rewarding. But then, the company doesn’t just hire anybody to work for them: They have standards that must be met, and one of such standards is the age requirement.

How Old Do You Have To Be To Work At Petco?

18 years. The minimum age requirement for you to get employment at Petco is 18 years. The majority of Petco pet shops and stores will never give you employment if you’re below this age. The only way you can be below 18 years of age and work at Petco is when you’re not working in a physical store, or you’re taking on a special job that’s available for teenagers below 18 years.

What Kind Of Jobs Can I Handle As A Petco Worker Below 18 years?

Petco will not employ people below 18 years in their physical stores. However, there are some special roles these young teens can be given. They include:

• Internships
• Apprenticeships (after which you may get hired)
• Non-physical or online job roles (such as content writing, data entry, typing, etc)

How Do I Apply For A Job At Petco?

For Petco, you’d mostly find their available career opportunities online. You can check on the official Petco careers site to know what vacancies are available, and you can also find direct links to their available job opportunities in their Petco stores and support centres.

Here are the steps to apply for a position at Petco online:

• Visit The Petco careers portal
• Browse through the current job openings to find the one that suits you
• Find Petco locations near you that have the particular job position you’re applying for
• Fill in the online job application form
• Submit your resume when prompted
• Follow up with Petco stores at the physical location you applied to work at

Once you apply for any Petco job online, your profile will be visible to the hiring manager, and your resume will be stored in the Petco database for about a year. This long storage time is so that you can get shortlisted for new job opportunities that may arise in future and are a good match for your resume. Applicants that pass the screening are interviewed, and the successful ones are hired.

Petco doesn’t accept job applications via mail, so you’re not advised to email them concerning job enquiries. Rather, another good way to get work at Petco is to go to a physical store or shop and ask the management team if there are any available jobs for you. If there are vacancies, you may simply be asked for your qualifications/resume, interviewed, and then hired.

What Is It Like Working At Petco?

As a Petco worker, you’ll be constantly interacting with customers, whether you’re working online or offline in physical store outlets. Also, depending on your role/position, you may get hands-on exposure to pets. So in other words, working at Petco can be said to be collaborative (you work hand-in-hand with other staff), pleasant (working with animals can be a lot of fun) extroverted, and of course very rewarding.

You can be sure that a notable company like Petco would reward its workers handsomely. If you’re wondering just how much you can get paid as a Petco worker, then read on.

How Much Can I Earn As A Petco Worker?

As a Petco worker, you can earn anywhere from $10/hr to $50/hr, with bonuses up to $2,000. It all depends on the level of your expertise and your position in the company. Newbies will, of course, earn far less than pro workers.

Here’s a short table highlighting some key job roles at Petco and their salaries, as reported by Payscale:

Position/Job	Pay Range ($)	Average Pay ($)
Executive Assistant	21 – 36	28
Customer service cashier	8 – 14	10
Pet groomer	10 – 20	12
Sales Associate	9 – 15	12
Merchandise Manager	11 – 19	14
Dog Trainer	10 – 16	12
Cashier	8 – 15	11
Operations Manager	12 – 26	18
Customer Service advisor	9 – 18	13

FAQs

What Benefits Can I Enjoy As A Petco Worker?

As a Petco worker, you can enjoy certain benefits like medical, dental and optical plans/treatments, spending accounts, disability assistance, insurance, product discounts, and paid time offs.

Do I Need College Education To Work At Petco?

No, you do not need a college education to work at Petco. Petco hires workers with GED and other lower qualifications. However, it’s not a barrier either if you have a college education: it just doesn’t increase your chances of getting hired (except of course you’re applying for a position that matches what you studied in college).

In general, anyone with a GED, high school diploma, associate’s degree, or bachelor’s degree, can apply for a job at Petco and stand a good chance of getting hired if they are deemed fit for the role. Of course, qualifications alone don’t guarantee a job. There are some characteristics that would increase your chances of getting hired by Petco.

Things That Will Boost Your Chances Of Getting Hired At Petco

Asides from a degree, these few things can help you win your dream job at Petco:

• Having a strong work ethic
• Being Reliable and honest
• Being social, extroverted, lively and enthusiastic
• Having prior sales experience
• Having prior experience working with animals
• Having customer service experience.

Does Petco Hire 17-Year-Old Workers?

In some instances and locations, yes. However, the official age for getting hired at Petco, anywhere in the world, is 18.

Does Petco Hire 16-Year-Olds?

No. Petco doesn’t hire 16-year-olds. The only place you can work for Petco as a 16-year-old is in Alaska. This is because, in Alaska, the minimum age requirement to work as an adult is 16 years.