How Old Do You Have to be to Work at Petco?
Generally speaking, to land a job at Petco as a guest experience specialist, grooming apprentice, or Vetco customer service representative, you must be at least 18 years old. They also prefer that you have a high school diploma or GED.
Teen Jobs at Petco and Age Requirements
Guest Experience Specialist (Hourly)
As a guest experience specialist (sales associate) at Petco, you must be both an animal lover and a people person. You will be part of a team who works together to help pets and their parents have a great store experience, while also achieving your sales goals.
You will assist customers with a merchandise selection to fit their needs, demonstrate a high interest in the health, welfare, and proper handling of animals, and perform cashier duties and other duties as assigned.
You will provide a prompt and courteous service to all Petco customers by determining their needs and sharing product knowledge to suggest the right merchandise. You will also sign up customers for the Pals Rewards program, assist in stocking merchandise, and complete register transactions.
Another part of the job is taking care of the animals, birds, reptiles, and fish in the store. You will make sure their habitats are clean, safe, and secure, take proper steps to help them maintain good health, and alert store leaders if they need medical attention.
You must be at least 18 years old to work as a guest experience specialist at Petco.
Vetco Customer Service Rep. (Hourly)
Petco has in-house clinics (known as Vetco) that offer professional expertise for common pet health problems. They also offer vaccines and preventative care services for healthy cats and dogs. Instead of a permanent presence, they function more like a pop-up, with vets arriving at the store with vaccines, meds, and everything else they need to take care of the pets they see.
A customer service rep at Vetco is responsible for responding to inquiries for both internal and external customers. You will help streamline the workflow, provide feedback for processes and procedures, and help resolve customer issues.
You will maintain efficient customer records by managing spreadsheets, be a resource for call center agents to help resolve customer issues, and add value to the overall customer experience.
To work as a Vetco customer service representative at Petco, you must be at least 18 years old.
Grooming Apprentice (Hourly)
The grooming apprentice position is for people who are interested in a career as a pet stylist. You will provide basic salon services, provide customer service, and perform necessary administrative tasks. This position is to prepare you for a job as a Petco Pet Stylist, so you will be taught the skill of professional pet styling.
You must be at least 18 years old to be a grooming apprentice.
Can a 15 Year Old Work at Petco?
No. You must be at least 18 years old to work at Petco, so 15-year-olds can’t work there. We have a page on our website specifically for 15-year-olds that you can view for other options.
Can a 16 Year Old Work at Petco?
No. You must be at least 18 years old to work at Petco, so 16-year-olds can’t work there. We do have a page on our website specifically for 16-year-olds that you can view for other options.
How Much Does Petco Pay Part-Time Workers?
The hourly earnings for employees at Petco vary because of state and city minimum wage laws. However, we can give you a general idea of what the hourly pay is for each position.
Guest Experience Specialist (Hourly)
As a guest experience specialist at Petco, you will be making somewhere between minimum wage and $12 per hour. If this is your first job, then you will most likely start at the lower end of the range.
The average hourly rate for a Petco guest experience specialist is $9.
Vetco Customer Service Representative (Hourly)
The rate of pay for Vetco customer service representatives is between $8 and $21 an hour. If you have some prior work experience, you can negotiate an hourly pay rate higher than minimum wage.
The average hourly rate for a Vetco customer service representative is $10.
Grooming Apprentice (Hourly)
The salary range for a grooming apprentice at Petco is between $8 and $13 an hour. If you don’t have any experience working with animals, you will most likely start at the lower end of the range.
The average hourly rate for a grooming apprentice is $9.
How Much Experience Do You Need to Work at Petco?
Petco is an entry-level friendly company, so you don’t need any prior work experience to get a job there. However, they do prefer that you have your high school diploma or GED.
What Should You Wear to a Job Interview at Petco?
Petco is a pet store, so when you show up for your interview you will want to be dressed in business casual attire. Consider something like a buttoned-down shirt with nice slacks and dress shoes. You do not want to show up too casual in a t-shirt and jeans.
Petco Interview Questions
The possible questions in a job interview are endless, and it always depends on the interviewer. But, there are some common questions that they do often ask. At a Petco interview, you will most likely speak to at least one manager. Here are some questions they have been known to ask during an interview.
What experience do you have working with animals?
Why are they asking?
Obviously, the most important part of working at Petco (in addition to providing good customer service) is keeping the animals safe and healthy. Animals are your job, so any experience you have with animals will help you land a position.
What’s the ideal answer?
The interviewer wants to hear about any animal experience you have. It doesn’t have to be from a traditional job, either. Maybe you have done some pet-sitting or dog-walking? If you have, let them know. Also let them know about any experience you have with your own pets.
Are you available to work nights, weekends, or holidays?
Why are they asking?
Since they are a large retail store, Petco is open late during the week, and they are also open on weekends and some holidays. If they are asking you this, they are wanting to make sure you have the availability to work those hours.
What’s the ideal answer?
The ideal answer to this question is yes. You don’t necessarily have to have complete open availability to work at any hour, day or night. If you can work at least a few nights or weekends, it is a huge plus to landing a position with the company.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Why are they asking?
If a manager asks you this question, they are trying to find out what you can bring to their staff. They are also wanting to find out how well you can communicate, while being positive and professional.
What’s the ideal answer?
Know your strengths. If you get asked this question, tell them how you will benefit their business. They want to hear that you have good verbal communication skills, are good at math, have a friendly and upbeat demeanor, and can give good customer service.
Tell them that you are a reliable worker who will show up to work on time for every scheduled shift. If you are interested in a long-term career with the company, definitely let them know.
Also, don’t be afraid to share your weaknesses because everyone has them. If you need to improve skills like time management or multitasking, that is okay.
Benefits of Working at Petco
Everyone who works at Petco gets a discount on merchandise. However, the benefits they offer are for full-time workers only.
Benefits include:
- Paid time off and paid sick days
- Flexible spending accounts
- Vacation
- 401K with a company match
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- Cell phone plan discounts
What it’s Like to Work at Petco
How to Apply at Petco
If you are interested in working at Petco, the best way to apply is by filling out an application on the company website. This is the best source for up-to-date job listings. Once you have filled out an application or uploaded a resume, this will notify a specific store that you are interested in a job.
If your experience and qualifications are a good fit, a Petco representative will contact you.
