How Much Do 5 Below Pay An Hour? | Pay Ranges By Role

If you’re applying at Five Below, you want the hourly rate before you invest time in an interview. There isn’t one universal number. Pay moves with role, location, and the shifts a store needs filled.

This guide gives role-based ranges, what pushes pay up or down, and the questions that help you judge an offer in real life.

What Most People Mean When They Ask How Much Do 5 Below Pay An Hour?

Most searches are often about store roles: sales associate, cashier, freight, and shift leadership. On broad pay listings, reported Five Below hourly rates span from roughly $11.30 for some entry roles up to about $27.93 for certain specialized roles.

For a single title, the number can sit lower. A Sales Associate figure can land near the low end on national averages, so “average pay” and “starting pay” aren’t the same thing.

If you’re here asking “how much do 5 below pay an hour?”, treat it like a two-part question: what does my role pay in my city, and what do they pay for my schedule.

Five Below Hourly Pay By Role And What Changes It

Role	Typical Hourly Pay Range (US)	What Usually Moves The Rate
Retail Sales Associate	About $11.25 and up	State wage floor, weekend availability, closing shifts
Sales Associate	Commonly in the low teens	Local hiring pressure, prior retail time, shift mix
Cashier	Commonly in the low teens	Register speed, accuracy, peak-hour coverage
Freight Associate	About $11.30 and up	Early shifts, truck days, physical pace
Stocking Associate	Can run higher in some listings	Overnight work, high-volume stores, safety skills
Sales Associate/Cashier	Often mid-teens in some markets	Multi-skill coverage, busy locations, tenure
Assistant Manager	Often mid to high teens	Opening/closing duty, coaching, shrink control
Merchandise Manager	Often high teens into the twenties	Planogram skill, store volume, leadership depth
Technical Helpdesk Specialist	Can reach the high twenties in some listings	Ticket scope, office location, experience

Use these numbers like guardrails. They help you spot a low offer fast, and they give you language to ask for a fair rate when your schedule or skills match what the store needs.

Why The Same Job Title Pays Different In Different Stores

Location is the loudest variable. Every store sits inside a state and city wage map. If your state minimum is higher than the federal floor, the store has to start at or above that number. The U.S. Department of Labor notes that when state and federal minimum wage rules both apply, the higher rate wins. Federal Minimum Wage Rules.

Next comes competition. If nearby retailers are hiring, managers often raise starting pay to fill shifts. During seasonal peaks, stores may pay more for people who can work nights, weekends, and holidays with steady attendance.

Where To Check Open Roles

Five Below doesn’t publish one public pay chart for every store. You can still learn a lot by scanning the exact role listings in your area, then matching them to reported pay bands. Start with the company’s job search pages: Five Below Job Listings.

How To Estimate Your Likely Hourly Rate Before You Apply

You can get close to a realistic number in ten minutes if you do it in the right order.

Step 1: Anchor To Your Local Wage Floor

Find your state minimum wage and check city rules if your metro has them. This is the lowest legal number for most store roles. If your local floor already sits near reported averages, you’re in a higher-pay market.

Step 2: Match The Role To The Right Pay Page

Company-wide ranges can blur details. Sales associate, cashier, freight, and management roles do not share one pay band. Use role-specific pages when you can. When you see multiple numbers online for the same title, treat them as a range, not a promise.

Step 3: Price Your Availability Like A Skill

Managers hire to cover the hardest hours first. If you can work closing shifts, weekends, truck days, or late-season hours, that is bargaining power. If your schedule is tight, you can still earn a solid rate by leaning into speed, accuracy, and clean attendance.

What To Say When The Application Asks For Desired Pay

That box can feel like a trap. Put a number that’s too low and you cap your offer. Put a number that’s too high and you worry you’ll get filtered out. A simple rule works: aim for the upper half of the local range for your role, then tie it to one clear reason.

A Short Script That Stays Professional

Try this wording, then swap in your number: “I’m targeting $X per hour based on similar roles nearby and my availability for closing and weekends.” Keep it calm. Then stop talking.

If You’re Asked For Pay Expectations On The Spot

If a manager asks your number before you’ve heard details, buy a little time: “I’m open, can you share the range for this store?” If they share a band, pick a target near the top and link it to something concrete you bring, like closing availability, open schedule for truck days, or prior cash handling. If they don’t share a band, name a number, then add “depending on hours and duties” so you can adjust once you learn the schedule.

When The Posting Lists A Range

If a posting lists a range, use it. Ask where new hires start inside that band. If you have retail time, ask if prior experience can place you higher. If you’re new, ask if there’s a review point after 30–90 days that can move the rate.

Schedule, Hours, And Perks That Shape Your Real Pay

Hourly pay is one part of what you earn. Weekly hours, shift stability, and discounts also matter. Five Below promotes crew perks and benefits on its own sites, so you can read what applies to part-time and full-time status before you accept an offer.

Part-Time Versus Full-Time

Many store hires start part-time. That can mean fewer hours during slow weeks. If you need a steady check, ask how many hours the store is scheduling for that role right now and what happens after the season changes.

Seasonal hiring can shift the math. A store may bring people in fast for holiday traffic, then cut hours in January. If you’re taking a seasonal role, ask if strong performance can convert you to regular status, and what that change means for hours, scheduling priority, and pay reviews before you accept the offer.

Shift Timing And Overtime

Some locations rely on early truck unload shifts or late-night recovery. If you can take those hours, ask if the store uses a higher starting rate for that schedule. If you regularly work more than 40 hours as a non-exempt employee, ask how overtime is tracked and paid in that location.

Common Pay Traps People Run Into At Five Below

Most pay disappointments come from assumptions. A few small checks can save you weeks of frustration.

Mixing Up “Average Pay” With “Starting Pay”

Averages often include people who have been in the role for a while, plus people working in higher-wage states. Starting pay can sit below that number. Ask what the store is offering new hires right now, in your city.

Role Creep On The Schedule

Some stores hire a “sales associate” then schedule that person for register, stocking, recovery, and truck tasks. If you can cover multiple tasks well, you can ask to be paid like someone who can flex across the store.

Raises That Aren’t Clear

Ask when performance reviews happen and what metrics are used. In retail, attendance, task completion, and shrink awareness often show up in the conversation.

How Much Do 5 Below Pay An Hour? Use This Offer Checklist

Before you accept, run through this checklist. It turns a vague “sounds fine” into a clear yes or no.

Check	What To Ask	Why It Matters
Base rate	“What is the hourly rate for this exact role?”	Titles can hide different pay bands
Hours	“How many hours a week are you scheduling now?”	A higher rate with tiny hours can still pay less
Shift mix	“Will I mostly close, open, or work mid-shifts?”	Hard shifts can justify a higher ask
Weekend needs	“Is weekend availability required for this rate?”	Weekends often drive the hire
Cross-training	“Will I run register and work freight too?”	More skills can justify more pay
Review timing	“When is the first pay review?”	Clear dates reduce guesswork
Payday	“What is the pay schedule and pay method?”	Helps you plan bills and banking
Perks	“What discounts or benefits apply to my status?”	Perks add value over a year

Quick Benchmarks For Your Offer

Start with the role bands in the first table, then compare them to your local wage floor and your schedule flexibility. In many areas, entry store roles land in the low teens, while leadership roles can run higher based on responsibility and store volume.

If you’re still stuck on “how much do 5 below pay an hour?”, pick your role, pick your city, then ask the manager one direct question: “Is this the best rate you can do for my availability?” It’s a clean ask, and it often gets a clear answer. That question keeps the discussion focused and fair.