How Much Does Goodwill Pay? Hourly Wages by Role

Goodwill pay is harder to pin down than at most employers, because Goodwill is not one company. It is a network of independent, locally run nonprofit organizations, and each sets its own wages, benefits, and job titles. A thrift store in one region and a Goodwill job-training program in another may have little in common beyond the name.

For that reason, the numbers below should be read as a general guide. The company-specific figure comes from Payscale, where Goodwill workers submit their own pay, and the role comparisons come from Bureau of Labor Statistics data for similar jobs at any employer.

The overall Payscale average is $15.96/hr. The reported range is wide, from $10.63/hr to $25.67/hr, which fits an organization that includes both entry-level retail jobs and higher-paid management, program, and administrative staff.

The title figures look odd next to the overall average, and that is worth understanding. Payscale lists only a couple of titles, and both sit below the company-wide number.

Retail sales associate is the highest listed title at $12.47/hr, and cashier is the lowest at $11.85/hr. Both are below the overall average, which suggests the headline is pulled up by roles that the title list does not show. If you are applying for a store job, the title figures are the better guide to the starting point; the overall average and its top end are better read as a picture of the whole organization.

BLS data describes what workers in the same occupations earn across all employers. It is not Goodwill pay, but it shows where a Goodwill offer sits against the going rate.

Cashiers

The national cashier median is $15.81/hr. In Ohio it is $14.07/hr, shown as one state example.

Retail salespersons

Retail salespersons have a national median of $17.03/hr, and the Ohio median is $14.81/hr.

Stockers and order fillers

Donation processing and back-room work resembles the stocker and order filler category, which has a national median of $17.95/hr and a middle range of $14.48/hr to $23.68/hr.

Because each Goodwill is its own organization, expect differences in:

• the starting wage for store and donation-center jobs
• state and local minimum wage rules, which set a floor
• the mix of jobs, since some locations run training programs and contract services as well as stores
• benefits, schedules, and how raises are handled

Some Goodwill organizations also employ people through job-training and employment programs, and the pay and terms for those roles can differ from regular store positions.

Start with the careers page of your local Goodwill, which is usually separate from any national site. Job postings there may list a rate or range. If they do not, ask the hiring manager for the starting rate for the specific role. Compare what you hear with the BLS state figures above, and keep in mind that local minimum wage rules apply to every Goodwill in the area.

A few cautions apply to every figure on this page. Payscale entries are voluntary, so the sample is small and can lean toward people who chose to share. The BLS medians are solid but cover an entire occupation, including well-paid employers and poorly paid ones. Neither source tells you what your local Goodwill will offer on a given day, and nonprofit employers may adjust pay as budgets and local labor markets change. Use the numbers to set expectations, then confirm the real rate in writing before you accept a job.