Top 18 Jobs at Harbor Freight
Whether you’re looking for an entry-level or management position, Harbor Freight Tools has multiple jobs available.
From warehouse and retail to corporate positions, the company has a variety of jobs across different areas of the business.
This article will serve as your guide to finding the right career at Harbor Freight.
Inside it, you’ll find details about Harbor Freight, the top 18 positions it offers, and the types of skills it looks for in its employees so that you can decide if this is the right employer for you.
What is Harbor Freight?
Harbor Freight Tools, commonly referred to as Harbor Freight, is a national tool retailer that offers discount prices. It has over 4,000 products, including air compressors, power tools, wrenches, hand tools, saws, welding supplies, and generators.
One of the main reasons many people choose Harbor Freight as their go-to tools retailer is its low prices. The company manages to keep its prices low since it buys its tools directly from the manufacturer, cutting out the middleman.
Harbor Freight is a well-known and often preferred employer with more than 25,000 employees.
With over 1,300 retail locations, part-time and full-time jobs are constantly available at Harbor Freight.
Thus, regardless of where you live in the U.S., there’s a good chance that you’ll find a position in or close to your area.
Does Harbor Freight pay well?
Harbor Freight’s hourly pay ranges from around $9 to over $25, depending on the type of position, years of experience, and qualification requirements.
The average hourly rate for Harbor Freight employees is $15.15.
Harbor Freight pays its employees well above the minimum U.S. wage of $7.25, making the company an excellent choice for entry-level candidates.
In addition to providing good pay, Harbor Freight offers several employee benefits, including vision insurance, dental insurance, and associate discounts.
Top 18 careers at Harbor Freight
Harbor Freight offers career opportunities in the following four main sectors:
Retail careers
Distribution center careers
Corporate careers
Remote and flex careers
There are positions available for people with various skill sets, experience levels, and qualifications. Here’s a list of some of the top careers at Harbor Freight.
1. Cashier
Cashiers are responsible for operating the cash register — scanning items, totaling purchases, handling returns, and more. A big part of their job is offering great customer service.
Since cashiers primarily work with money (both cash and card transactions), they need to be good at math.
On average, cashiers at Harbor Freight earn around $9.86 per hour. However, their salary can increase when they develop certain skills, such as cash handling and customer relations.
2. Sales associate
Sales associates are responsible for greeting customers when they enter the store and helping them find what they’re looking for. They answer customers’ questions about specific products and give them advice on the best option for their needs.
You don’t need a college degree to land a position as a sales associate at Harbor Freight. But you should have great customer service, communication, and listening capabilities to ensure that customer satisfaction remains high.
Sales associates at Harbor Freight earn an average hourly rate of $13.50. Those with retail skills can earn up to 3% more.
3. Logistics supervisor
Logistics supervisors, also referred to as supply chain managers, are responsible for overseeing all the steps involved in delivering a finished product to customers.
Logistics supervisors’ duties may include analyzing inventory, negotiating pricing with manufacturers, and analyzing the production workflow.
Logistics supervisors at Harbor Freight earn an average of $14.25 per hour. But they can earn up to $20 per hour, depending on their years of experience and skills.
Those with operations management skills can earn up to 7% more than average.
4. Assistant store manager
Assistant store managers are responsible for helping with the day-to-day operations of the store. These include things such as ordering and processing merchandise, managing employees, and helping customers.
Customer service and sales management are highly sought-after skills for this position. You also need a high school diploma and previous management experience.
On average, assistant store managers earn $18.86 per hour at Harbor Freight. However, their salary may increase according to their years of experience and skill set.
One benefit of being an assistant store manager is that you have excellent advancement opportunities. People in this position can advance to retail store manager, retail manager, or operation manager positions.
5. Warehouse associate
Warehouse associates are responsible for performing jobs in the warehouse that require manual labor. These tasks include boxing and labeling products, doing basic packing work, and more.
These individuals need experience working in a warehouse and should be detail-oriented, great at manual labor tasks, and able to maintain a clean work environment.
The average warehouse associate at Harbor Freight earns $9.89 per hour. People in this position with inventory skills earn 3% more than those without.
6. Warehouse supervisor
Warehouse supervisors are responsible for managing all the incoming and outgoing products in the warehouse. They need to maintain inventory and make sure merchandise is ordered on time. They also have to oversee their subordinates’ work.
They need to be excellent at teamwork and leadership, as they’ll work closely with other employees daily.
Warehouse supervisors at Harbor Freight earn around $12.38 per hour. However, those with people management, inventory management, and inventory control skills earn around 2% more than average.
7. Stocker
Stockers are responsible for restocking shelves so that customers can find what they need easily.
Some of their daily duties include unloading trucks and deliveries, sorting and stocking products on the store shelves and in the backroom, and maintaining an accurate log sheet.
No official training is required to become a stocker.
On average, stockers at Harbor Freight earn $11 per hour. However, they can earn up to $14 per hour depending on their experience and skills.
8. Retail manager
Retail managers are responsible for managing all aspects of the retail store, including hiring and training employees, managing stock levels, motivating team members, and dealing with customer queries.
Furthermore, they need to manage budgets, maintain financial records, and oversee pricing to make sure targets are met.
This role comes with many responsibilities, and people in this position often require a business degree or several years of experience.
Retail managers at Harbor Freight earn an average of $20 per hour. However, their salaries can vary greatly based on their years of experience and skill set.
9. Sales manager
Sales managers are responsible for hiring and training sales employees and making sure their weekly and monthly sales goals are met.
They’re required to establish effective sales strategies so that sales teams know exactly what’s expected of them and how they can go about reaching their goals.
On average, sales managers at Harbor Freight earn around $18 per hour. While qualifications related to business are a bonus, candidates with several years of experience in sales will have the best chance of landing this position.
10. Auditor
Auditors are responsible for planning and performing financial audits to make sure financial statements are free of material misstatements — whether caused by error or fraud.
Some of their duties include preparing audit reports, following audit standards, reporting fraud, and helping during investigations.
On average, auditors at Harbor Freight earn around $16 per hour. People applying for this position need to have a degree in accounting or similar.
11. Equipment operator
Equipment operators are responsible for operating and maintaining equipment, including front-end loaders, bulldozers, backhoes, and excavators.
Some of their duties include making sure machines are regularly checked and cleaned, monitoring machine performance, and conducting machine tests.
People in this position don’t need a college degree, but they do need to have excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills. Several years of experience are also preferred.
Equipment operators earn an average of $17 per hour at Harbor Freight.
12. Junior copywriter
Junior copywriters — otherwise known as marketing writers — are responsible for writing engaging, clear, and action-driven text for different advertising channels, such as social media and print ads.
They need to have exceptional writing and grammar skills. A marketing qualification will increase their chances of landing the job. But it isn’t a requirement.
Junior copywriters at Harbor Freight earn over $14 per hour. Their salaries can increase significantly if they have several years of experience.
13. Help desk analyst
Help desk analysts are responsible for helping customers with technical support for any IT-related matter that has to do with computer hardware, networks, etc.
Candidates don’t necessarily need a qualification in IT to get this job. But it does help their chances of landing the position.
Those who have several years of experience in the IT or computer industries also have a great chance.
Salaries for help desk analysts at Harbor Freight start at $13 an hour and can increase based on years of experience and training.
14. Human resources coordinator
Human resources coordinators complete administrative duties for the human resources department.
They’re responsible for responding to internal and external HR-related queries, coming up with solutions, and ensuring that employees are happy and positive.
On average, HR coordinators at Harbor Freight earn $14 per hour. However, their salaries can increase to up to $19 based on their expertise and experience. Previous experience in HR is preferred.
15. Pricing coordinator
Pricing coordinators are responsible for determining the right prices for products.
Their daily duties may include researching changes in prices, assessing invoices, and examining industry standards.
They also need to keep track of competitor prices and examine patterns in consumer spending to remain competitive.
Pricing coordinators at Harbor Freight earn an average of $12 per hour.
16. IT coordinator
Information technology (IT) coordinators are responsible for ensuring the smooth delivery of technology services.
Some of their duties include coordinating, assisting, and training others to provide IT support to customers.
People who want to apply for an IT coordinator role need a bachelor’s degree in IT or a related field and a few years of experience.
IT coordinators at Harbor Freight earn around $23 per hour on average.
17. Laborer
General laborers are responsible for performing various manual tasks, including loading and unloading products, assembling pieces of equipment, and installing fixtures.
To become a laborer at Harbor Freight, you don’t need post-secondary education. A high school diploma or equivalent is sufficient.
Laborers at Harbor Freight earn an average of $14 per hour.
18. Purchasing coordinator
Purchasing coordinators are responsible for purchasing the products and materials needed to operate the business.
Some of their tasks include researching vendors, comparing offers from suppliers, tracking orders, and ensuring stock is delivered on time.
On average, purchasing coordinators at Harbor Freight earn $18 per hour.
A degree in business is beneficial. However, having a few years of experience in a similar position can also help candidates land this position.
What types of skills does Harbor Freight look for in its employees?
Harbor Freight focuses on providing the best possible customer experience to all of its customers. It strives to create a positive environment for both customers and employees. Here are some of the top skills that align with the company’s principles:
Customer service
All Harbor Freight employees need exceptional customer service skills since the company focuses heavily on customer satisfaction and loyalty.
This means that employees need to be willing to go the extra mile when helping a customer — whether that be helping them find a product, answering their questions, or handling their complaints.
Teamwork
All employees in Harbor Freight’s multiple departments need to work together to keep processes running smoothly.
Thus, Harbor Freight employees need to be able to work well with others.
Organization
Employees need to be well-organized and be able to prioritize tasks.
Alongside their organizational skills, they need to have excellent time management capabilities to make sure all tasks are completed on time. For example, stockers need to be done stocking the shelves before customers arrive.
Communication
Going hand in hand with customer service, Harbor Freight looks for people with excellent communication skills.
Employees need to use their communication skills to make customers feel welcome and to keep their team informed about a lack of stock, specific customer concerns that need to be addressed, etc.
Learn how to improve your communication skills.
FAQs about Harbor Freight careers
What are the working hours like at Harbor Freight?
Working hours at Harbor Freight are from 7 a.m. to midnight, depending on the position. For example, stockers may need to work during the night, while sales associates will work during business hours.
Based on answers from previous and current Harbor Freight employees, full-time associates are expected to work a minimum of 40 hours per week.
How often do Harbor Freight employees get paid?
Many Harbor Freight employees get paid bi-weekly (once every two weeks). However, some managerial positions are paid monthly instead.
Employees receive payment through direct deposits to the account of their choice.
What is the promotion process like at Harbor Freight?
It can take several months to be promoted to a higher position. However, Harbor Freight is committed to employee growth. Thus, it encourages its employees to apply for higher-level jobs when positions open up.
Get a job at Harbor Freight
After reading through the list of amazing jobs Harbor Freight has to offer, does one of them sound perfect for your goals and needs?
If so, learn how to apply for a job at Harbor Freight right now in a few simple steps.
If none of the positions mentioned above sound like the right fit for you, search for retail jobs on Jobcase’s job board. Simply type in your desired location and the position you’re looking for.