How Old Do You Have to Be to Work at Dollar General?

Have you just left school and are looking for a job?

Or perhaps you want to pick up some part-time work.

If so, getting a job at Dollar General could be an excellent option for you. But, How Old Do You Have to Be to Work at Dollar General? Unfortunately, if you are under 18, you cannot apply for a job here. The store only employs people 18-years-old and above. But don’t worry! There are other options for you. I’ll touch on that later…

If you are over 18 and fit the requirements for a role at the store, go ahead and apply. The application process is pretty straightforward, and you could be working within a few weeks.

What Is Dollar General?

The company was founded in 1939 and has over 17,000 stores in 46 states. Provides low price brand products. You can buy anything from snacks to cleaning supplies, clothing, and houseware. If you need it, they’ve probably got it!

The company, in fact, is one of America’s leading retailers. This is because of its affordable prices and the drive to provide items they deem necessary for their customers. For example, they don’t stock multiple sizes of an item. They only have the one most desired by the customer.

What Qualifications Do I Need?

Dollar General prefers applicants to have a High School GED. The roles are varied. A manager role will require retail experience, previous experience managing staff, and handling large amounts of money.

Read more: What Time Does Dollar Tree Close-Open?

Job Roles

There are a wide variety of roles available. Whether it’s working in a store, at the distribution center, or as a driver for the company, you’ll be sure to find something that suits you!

All applicants for the following roles should know: The company expects staff to stand for long periods. They should be comfortable handling merchandise and be OK with working in a fast-paced, busy environment.

Retail Sales Associate

This is a customer-facing role. You must be friendly and enjoy giving excellent customer service. An associate is responsible for keeping the store stocked and looking neat. You should be prepared to have in-store training to learn about the company’s products.

Job Roles Include:

Remember, you have to be at least 18-years-old to apply for this role. As a sales associate, you can expect to earn between $8.00 and $9.00 per hour. The company’s average hourly pay is $8.58. This is 27% below the national average.

Lead Sales Associate

This role includes similar roles to which we just discussed. Usually, a more experienced member of staff or someone who has previous experience in retail is preferred. You need previous retail experience for this role and should also have obtained your high school GED.

Job Roles Include:

The average salary for a sales associate is $10 per hour but can range between $10 and $17 per hour, depending on location and experience.

Assistant Store Manager

An assistant manager works below the store manager and completes tasks. The assistant manager is likely to train associates and help with staff in general. For this role, you should have one year’s retail experience along with at least six months of supervising employees. You also need to have your high school GED.

Job Roles Include:

An assistant store manager can expect around $13-$20 per hour.

Store Manager

A store manager is responsible for delegating tasks to employees. They should have experience managing a team of people and be a great team leader. A manager should provide the proper training to staff members and provide excellent customer service!

To apply for this role, you should be at least 18-years-old, have a high school diploma, and at least one year of managerial experience.

Job Roles Include:

A store manager for Dollar General can expect an annual average salary of $36,379 per year. This is actually 21% below the national average for a manager’s salary. However, the company does offer quarterly bonuses! If you meet the sales targets, you are guaranteed to get a bonus.

Can A 16-year-old Work At Dollar General?

Unfortunately for you young-uns, Dollar General will not employ you. However, don’t be disheartened! There are plenty of other retail stores that hire minors. These include:

Jump onto their company websites to find out about job roles available to you! Most of these stores’ hiring process is pretty straightforward. If you are interested in working in a specific retail store, you can always pop in. Ask them about their hiring age to ensure you’re not wasting your time applying for a job you are not allowed to do!

Working in a retail environment, you must have excellent communication skills and be a people person. It would be best if you were happy to deliver great customer service too.

How Much Experience Do I Need To Work At Dollar General?

Dollar General is an amiable entry-level company. They hire people with little work experience as long as you are the right fit for the job! Sales associate roles are probably more aligned with you if you have no previous sales experience.

Benefits Of Working At Dollar General

One of the added benefits of working at Dollar General is the discount! Employees can get up to 20% off their purchases which is brilliant if you are doing your Christmas shopping or just a general household shop. Benefits also include:

Dollar General Interview Questions

If you have landed one of the previous roles mentioned above. Great job! Now it is time to prepare for your interview. It is super important to do some basic research about the company before heading to your interview. These are general questions that may be asked regardless of the role you applied for.

Can You Tell Us A Little About Dollar General?

What they’re asking:

This is where your basic research could come to good use! They want to know that you know something about the store and their ethics. Perhaps you can bring up how many stores are in that area or when the company was founded. Giving three or four facts you learned while researching the company will usually do, and the interviewer should be satisfied!

Why Should We Hire You?

What they’re asking:

They want you to sell yourself here. You can tell them about your strengths and experience and why it would make you an excellent employee to join the team. Talk about your past job roles and teamwork. Give examples too! You can talk about a specific situation that makes you stand out after leaving.

How Would You Deal With an Upset Customer?

What they’re asking:

They want to know that you would assure the customer that you will do the best to help them and not ignore the problem. It is important to repeat the problem to the customer, act sympathetic and promise you will resolve it. Remember to add if the situation is outside your training; then you would bring in your manager or assistant manager to help.

Still Deciding What Your First Job Will Be?

Don’t worry, that’s what we’re here for! Just check out my advice on Can Teens Work At A Hotel, Can Teenagers Work At Daycare, and How To Become A Teenage Dog Walker, or perhaps you’d like to know How Much Can A Teenager Work In A Week, Can Teens Work At Barnes Noble, and finally Can Teens Work At Best Buy to help pint you in the right direction.

If you’re fresh out of school or studies, then take a look at Life Skills and Career Coaching for Teens, or the Road Map to Your Job, as well as Soft Skills Training: A Workbook to Develop Skills for Employment, and for interactive fun, the Life Skills Activity Workbook all available online in 2023.

Next, if you’re already in retail, then improving your sales skills is an ongoing task. Let’s first check out my Sales Associate Job Description and Sales Associate Interview Questions to see what this position entails. We also recommend reading up on How To Get A Sales Job or Sales Secrets: The World’s Top Salespeople Share Their Secrets to Success, and lastly, Every Job Is a Sales Job: How to Use the Art of Selling to Win at Work.

Final Thoughts

Working for a retail store like Dollar General is a great way to gain experience in the retail industry. It is a fast-paced, busy environment and you will deal with a great variety of customers.

If you are under 18 and want to apply, be sure to apply to another retail store to gain experience. Who knows, after that, you may achieve your first role as a lead sales associate due to your previous job experience.

All the very best working at Dollar General!