Do Costco cashiers make more than Iowa teachers?

The Des Moines Register

Costco cashiers in Iowa can earn more than $56,000 per year — some $10,000 more than the state's average wage.

KWQC reported that employees of Davenport's yet-to-open Costco Wholesale store could earn more than $51,000 per year. Those workers also would be eligible for $5,000 in annual bonuses after working at least 1,000 hours, the NBC affiliate reported.

Costco's sales growth has accelerated recently.

A Costco official told The Des Moines Register that the company's payscale is constant across Iowa. The chain's starting wage is $13 per hour, with hourly employees receiving regular increases based on the number of hours worked.

Across the country, Costco's average wage is about $22 per hour, the official said. That figure includes twice-annual bonus checks for longer tenured employees.

Shoppers fill the checkout lines at Costco, where the store had sold out on batteries, bottled water and generators before noon on Tuesday. Costco representatives said they would have more supplies shipped to the store in the coming days before Hurricane Irma hits the state of Florida.

On a full-time basis, that would put Costco's average pay firmly above the $42,456 minimum pay for teachers at Des Moines Public Schools, according to the district's salary schedule posted online. And the $51,000 annual salary of more tenured Costco cashiers is just about $2,000 shy of the annual median wage for all Iowa teachers, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates at $53,030.

That compares to median Iowa wages of $65,470 for accountants and auditors, $45,020 for graphic designers and $56,290 for registered nurses.

Costco's salary figures were released as part of an ongoing debate about the brand's newest location. Some neighbors in Davenport have objected to the placement of the budget wholesaler citing concerns with stormwater runoff and traffic, the Quad City Times reported.

You also might enjoy reading:

In Iowa, the median wage for cashiers is $9.22 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retail salespersons earn a median wage of $10.46 per hour.

Across all industries in Iowa, workers earn an average annual salary of $43,540, the bureau reports.

Costco plans to build near the intersection of Fairhaven Road and East 53rd Street in Davenport. It would be the company's third Iowa warehouse store, adding to stores in West Des Moines and Coralville.

The Davenport City Council on Aug. 23 cleared the way for the new store. Store officials have said they plan for it to open in 2018.