Ace Hardware employee benefits and salary
Ace Hardware is known for its large range of tools, hardware, and outdoor equipment.
You may want to apply for a job if there’s a local store in your area.
The types of jobs you’ll find at Ace Hardware include retail, distribution, and corporate positions. The company values its staff and offers a wide range of perks, such as health, finance, and career benefits.
In this article, we’ll explain what Ace Hardware does and what benefits you may be entitled to as an employee.
What is Ace Hardware?
Ace Hardware Corp. is a hardware retail cooperative that first opened in Oak Brook, Illinois. They've been operating since 1924, and Ace Hardware is now the largest hardware cooperative in the world.
There are more than 5,000 Ace Hardware stores globally, and most are run by independent owners. Because small business operators run the stores, customers get personalized, local service.
Ace stores sell a range of products, including automotive, home improvement, gardening, fishing, and plumbing products, as well as hardware supplies, tools, building supplies, and lighting.
Team members are easily recognizable in their red company vests.
Retail locations
Ace Hardware is located in approximately 70 countries worldwide. These include Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Iceland, Russia, Canada, the United States, and many more.
In 2021, the company had 5,583 retail outlets, and nearly 4,000 of them were spread across the U.S.
Additionally, Ace Hardware recently announced plans for opening a new distribution center in Visalia, California — which will be around 1 million square feet and is predicted to provide over 400 jobs in the region. The distribution center is scheduled to be fully operational in early 2023.
Why should you apply for a job at Ace Hardware?
In a recent survey via the Chicago Tribune, respondents voted Ace Hardware Corporation as the fourth-best large employer to work for.
If you’re looking for a new job, you may like to consider Ace Hardware. It's a friendly place to work, and full-time associates get a range of benefits and perks.
Most Ace hiring managers will expect you to be over 18 with a high school diploma or equivalent. You’ll also need to have good customer service skills and an interest in home maintenance and hardware.
Ace Hardware is an equal opportunity employer and doesn't discriminate based on age, race, religion, gender, or disability.
There's a range of positions available. Depending on your experience, you can apply for a job as a cashier, sales associate, assistant manager, store manager, truck driver, or warehouse worker.
Ace Hardware employees work either full-time or part-time, and some stores offer flexible hours. You can browse Ace Hardware jobs if you'd like to see what positions are currently available in your area.
What can you expect as an Ace Hardware employee?
If you get a job at your local Ace Hardware warehouse or store, you can expect staff training from a senior coworker or manager. There are ongoing opportunities for learning, and it's a good place to gain experience.
Ace team members are expected to live by the company’s core principles. These include:
Winning
Excellence
Teamwork
Love
Gratitude
Integrity
Humility
These values help make ‘Ace The Helpful Place.’
Your exact duties will depend on the job type. For example, a cashier is responsible for serving customers and processing payments, and a distribution facility worker unloads stock and prepares orders.
As a team member at an Ace Hardware store, you can expect to be on your feet for long hours. It's a fast-paced work environment, and overtime may be required during peak periods.
It's a social workplace with a diverse mix of customers. In some stores, dog owners can bring their beloved pups shopping with them. Good customer service is a priority.
Ace stores are independently owned. This means you may work directly with the store owner.
If you work on the floor or in the warehouse, you can expect some heavy lifting. There’s new stock arriving regularly, and you may need to track inventory, unpack orders, and update prices.
While some Ace Hardware store employees say the work can be repetitive, the flexible work hours, friendly work environment, and generous employee discounts make up for it.
The work is consistent, and there can be opportunities to transfer between departments if you’re reliable.
Ace Hardware pays its employees every two weeks.
How much does Ace Hardware pay?
The average base salary of Ace Hardware employees is $12.67 per hour.
However, the salary that you’ll earn will depend on several different factors, including your job position, level of experience, and skills.
Salary by job position
Here are some of the most popular positions at Ace Hardware and how much they earn.
Sales Associate: average of $12 per hour
Cashier: average of $11 per hour
Office Manager: average of $16 per hour
Retail Store Manager: average of $14 per hour
Nursery Manager: average of $14 per hour
Department Manager: average of $13 per hour
Receiving Manager: average of $13 per hour
Key Holder: average of $12 per hour
Customer Service Associate: average of $13 per hour
Maintenance Technician: average of $15 per hour
Advertising/Promotions Manager: average of $13 per hour
Salary by level of experience
Salaries for many positions at Ace Hardware can increase based on years of experience.
For example, sales associates with 10–19 years of experience earn over $2 more per hour than those with 1–4 years of experience.
Similarly, retail store assistant managers with 10–19 years of experience earn $3 more than those with 1–4 years of experience.
Salary by skill set
Skill sets can also have an influence on the hourly wage of many of the positions at Ace Hardware.
For example, cash handling skills can increase sales associates’ hourly wages by 7% and customer service skills by 3%.
Here are some other soft and hard skills that you may want to include in your resume (if you have them) when applying for a job at Ace Hardware:
Retail training
People management
Operations management
Problem-solving
Time management
Communication
Teamwork
Commercial awareness
What are the top Ace Hardware employee benefits?
Workers at Ace Hardware are entitled to a benefits package. The company offers a number of health benefits, career benefits, and financial benefits.
Full-time workers will get a comprehensive package, while part-time workers will receive limited benefits.
Employee benefits may vary based on your job type, location, and store.
To give you an idea of what to expect, we've compiled a list of Ace Hardware’s most common benefits:
Health insurance
Ace team members get comprehensive health insurance options, including general medical and hospital cover. And you can also expect to get reduced-cost prescriptions. You can choose the level of coverage that best suits your needs.
Other health insurance benefits include vision insurance and dental coverage for both you and your family.
Ace Hardware gives you the option to have a flexible savings account so that you can set money aside for unexpected healthcare expenses.
Parental leave
Unlike many other retailers, Ace Hardware is generous with its family benefits. The company supports employees through all stages of life and offers a paid parental leave scheme.
New moms who have been working full-time receive 12 weeks of paid maternity leave. New dads are also entitled to four weeks of paid parental leave.
When you return to work, a flexible schedule may be available.
For those who are thinking about adopting, the company offers up to $10,000 in assistance.
Life insurance
If you work at Ace Hardware, you'll get life insurance benefits. The insurance amount will depend on how many hours you work and your yearly salary.
Your life insurance will cover you no matter whether you are at work, home, or overseas.
Disability insurance
Disability insurance is voluntary if you work at Ace Hardware. It can cover both accidental and short-term disability.
Disability insurance helps protect your family and gives you financial support if you’re unable to work.
Health and well-being
Ace Hardware supports the health and well-being of its workers with paid vacation time, paid holidays, and sick days.
They even offer reimbursement for gym memberships.
Financial benefits
Ace Hardware employees receive a range of financial benefits. In addition to a competitive salary, these include:
Employee discount
One of the perks of working at Ace Hardware is the employee discount. You'll save on merchandise in-store and receive discounts at other online retailer outlets.
The discount may vary depending on what you want to buy, but it's valid for you and other members of your household.
401(k) plan
It's never too early to start saving for the future, and Ace Hardware offers employees a generous retirement plan.
You can take advantage of the 401(k) plan and set aside a portion of your pre-tax income. This money can be used when you retire.
The company will match your contribution up to 4%.
Career benefits
At Ace Hardware, employees get a range of career benefits, including:
Promotions
Dedicated team members are given the opportunity to have a long-term career at Ace Hardware.
There's ongoing support and training, and the company often promotes from within. For example, cashiers and associates often become future managers.
Education reimbursement
Ace Hardware values education and development. They’ll give eligible employees tuition reimbursement.
This benefit is valued at up to $5,000 per year when you study with an approved college.
What are the unique Ace Hardware employee benefits?
Ace Hardware has unique benefits and rewards that you won't find elsewhere. They’re committed to their local communities and offer paid volunteer time to their employees.
If you work at Ace Hardware, you'll get up to 16 hours of paid volunteer time per year. And if you work at their Oak Brook store, you'll get an extra four hours. This is just one way the company is giving back.
Plus, Ace Hardware gives eligible team members access to free dry cleaning and oil changes in-store.
What benefits does Ace Hardware offer veterans?
Ace Hardware is known for its “helpful hardware folks,” and store owners are passionate about giving back to their local neighborhoods.
Ace Hardware is proud to hire veterans and help them transition to a new career. The company has a military translator tool so that veterans can decide which position best matches their skills.
Veterans are encouraged to apply for job vacancies and will be given the support they need to have a long-term career at Ace.
Customers who are veterans also receive a 10% military discount when they shop in-store. They need to show valid military identification.
What is the Ace Hardware benefit eligibility timeline?
The benefits eligibility timeline may depend on your location and your weekly hours. You can expect to start receiving health benefits 90 days after your start date.
If you’re eligible for vacation leave, you’ll need to work full-time for a minimum of one year before asking for time off.
To access the 401K savings plan, you’ll need to work for one year and a minimum of 1,000 hours.
Voluntary insurance options have different eligibility requirements, so make sure you read about them closely. And, once you’ve completed your Ace Hardware trial period, you’ll be eligible for the employee discount.
Applying for a job at Ace Hardware
If you like the sound of Ace Hardware, it’s time to start the application process. You can apply online or in-store, and there are jobs available now.
Once you’ve filled out an application, you may be contacted for an interview with the assistant manager. If you get to the next stage, you’ll meet with the store manager.
To help you with your application process, we’ve created this how-to guide. It gives you a rundown of what to expect, with tips on how to get the job.
Where to find Ace Hardware jobs
Ace Hardware is looking for cashiers, sales associates, drivers, supervisors, key carriers, and more.
Want to apply? You can browse current Ace Hardware opportunities on Jobcase’s job board. The job description will tell you everything you need to know, including benefits, required skills, and minimum age.
What other companies are similar to Ace Hardware?
If you don’t find any positions at your local Ace store, you may want to try one of their competitors.
You can browse our job board for retail store positions in your area. Or you can search using the company name. Try these:
The Ace Hardware benefits you need to know about
Are you thinking about applying for a job at Ace Hardware? Then you need to know about the benefits they offer.
We introduced you to this large retail cooperative and told you why you might want to work there.
And we gave you a list of benefits, including health insurance, parental leave, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plans, tuition support, and employee discounts.
If this sounds like a company you'd like to work for, you can browse Ace Hardware jobs on our job board.
Ready to get hired? Jobcase has all the resources you need to get the job. Want to see what else is available in your area? Browse our job board.