Kroger shift hours, pay & how to apply (2026)

Reported Kroger pay — Cashier (US average): $13.49/hr average; reported range $7.25-$22.80/hr (Indeed, estimated from ~71 job postings). Below are the real, cited shift, pay, hiring-age and apply facts, plus live openings when we have them. Data from indeed.com.

Kroger shift hours (what employees and official pages report)

Every shift fact below is quoted from a dated source — Kroger does not publish a single company-wide clock schedule, so times vary by site, department, and season. We cite each one so you can check it yourself.

How much does Kroger pay?

• Cashier (US average): $13.49/hr average; reported range $7.25-$22.80/hr (Indeed, estimated from ~71 job postings) Source: indeed.com, 2026-07-01

For reference, the U.S. median wage for Cashier is $32,880/year (about $16/hour), per BLS OEWS (May 2024 vintage) — a government benchmark, not a company figure.

How to apply to Kroger, step by step

Apply on the official careers site: krogerfamilycareers.com. Or let Jobeezy apply for you.

1. Apply online at the official Kroger family careers site (krogerfamilycareers.com); there is no paper application, but stores will direct walk-ins to an in-store hiring kiosk to apply online.
2. Complete an online assessment/personality test as part of the application.
3. Screening interview by phone or video, followed by an in-person (often one-on-one) interview with store management; interview questions are reported as basic.
4. Pass a background check (Kroger uses a third-party vendor) and, at many stores, a pre-employment drug test (commonly a mouth swab; some stores no longer drug-test).
5. Attend orientation and training lasting a few days up to about a week depending on the role. Typical time from application to hire is about 1-2 weeks; Kroger often extends the job and starts orientation before background-check/drug-test results return.

How old do you have to be to work at Kroger?

Minimum age: 16 (company standard); 14-15 possible for bagger/courtesy-clerk roles in some states with a work permit; some positions require 18

Employees report Kroger's general minimum as 16, with most roles requiring 16 or 18. State child-labor laws create exceptions for entry-level bagger/courtesy-clerk roles: reports cite 14-15 in Kentucky (with a work permit and hour restrictions), 15 in Michigan, and 15 with a work permit in Tennessee, while overnight stocker and some other roles require 18. Younger minors generally need a work permit and face hour restrictions. Confirm the minimum for your role and state locally. (Indeed user-generated Q&A.) Source: indeed.com, 2026-07-15

Workers under 18 are subject to state child-labor law: many states require a minor work permit (age/employment certificate) and cap hours on school days. Confirm your state's rules and the store's policy before you apply.

Does Kroger hire people with a criminal record?

Jobeezy does not have a Kroger-specific, sourced background-check policy, so we won't invent one. What we can tell you is the law that applies. 16 states plus D.C. have 'ban-the-box' laws that cover private employers — they delay the criminal-history question until later in hiring (often after a conditional offer): CA, CO, CT, DC, HI, IL, MA, MD, MN, NJ, NM, NY, OR, RI, VT, WA. Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, most non-conviction records older than seven years generally can't be reported on a standard background check (some exceptions apply for higher-paid roles and certain regulated jobs). Safety-sensitive and regulated roles — healthcare, working with minors, financial services, driving — usually require disclosure regardless of state. See our full fair-chance hiring guide for your state.

Kroger shifts, pay & hiring — FAQ

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