Cashier is one of the most common first jobs in the United States. Grocery stores, pharmacies, fuel stations, big-box stores and fast food restaurants all need people on the register, and most hire with no experience at all. It is also a job where the pay ranges most guides publish are below the legal minimum in several of the states they recommend, and where the rules that protect a new cashier's paycheck go unmentioned.
$12 an Hour Is Illegal in Three of the Five States Guides Name
Guides put entry-level cashier pay at $12 to $15 an hour and then list the top states for cashier jobs: California, Texas, New York, Florida and Ohio. Put the two together and the problem is obvious. The federal minimum wage is still $7.25 an hour, but most of those states set their own, higher floor for 2026:
- California: $16.90 an hour.
- New York: $17.00 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester, and $16.00 in the rest of the state.
- Florida: $14.00 an hour, rising to $15.00 from 30 September 2026.
- Ohio: $11.00 an hour for most employers.
- Texas: the federal $7.25.
So $12 an hour is below the state minimum wage in three of the five states the guides name — California, New York and Florida — and even $15 is below the floor in California and New York. Washington's statewide minimum of $17.13 is the highest in the country, and many cities set their own rate above their state's.
The practical rule is simple: your state's minimum wage is where cashier pay starts, not a national range. Our retail jobs in USA guide sets out how far apart state floors sit and why a national average hides them; this guide does not repeat it.
What Cashiers Actually Earn
The Bureau of Labor Statistics measured the median cashier wage at $15.81 an hour in May 2025, about $32,880 a year for full-time hours. That is above the $15 floor guides give for an experienced cashier, so a typical cashier already earns more than the "experienced" band starts at.
Where you work matters as much as how long you have worked. The BLS medians by industry:
- Building material and garden supply stores: $16.87 an hour
- Food and beverage retailers (grocery stores): $16.45
- Restaurants and other food services: $15.15
- General merchandise retailers (big-box and department stores): $15.02
- Gasoline stations: $14.68
Fuel and convenience stores pay least, and home improvement and grocery stores pay most. If you have a choice between two cashier jobs on the same street, the type of store is a better guide to the pay than the job title.
Fast Food Cashiers in California Start at $20
Guides list fast food cashier as one of the main types of cashier job without mentioning California's separate rule. Since 1 April 2024, employees at limited-service restaurants belonging to a national chain with at least 60 establishments nationwide must be paid at least $20.00 an hour — more than $3 above the state's general minimum wage. A state Fast Food Council can raise that rate.
That means a cashier at a large burger or coffee chain in California starts well above a cashier at an independent café next door. Check which kind of employer you are applying to.
A Till Shortage Cannot Come Out of Minimum Wage
Every cashier eventually ends a shift with the drawer a few dollars short. Some employers respond by deducting the shortage from pay. Federal law limits that. The US Department of Labor states that deductions for items such as cash or merchandise shortages are not legal if they reduce an employee's wages below the minimum wage, or cut into overtime pay due under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
For a cashier paid at or near the minimum wage, that means a shortage deduction is very often simply unlawful, and signing an agreement to repay shortages does not change that. Several states restrict these deductions further. Ask at interview how till shortages are handled, and keep your own record of your cash counts.
Self-Checkout Is Shrinking the Job, Not Closing It
Guides say cashiers "remain essential" despite self-checkout. The BLS numbers are more precise. Employment of cashiers is projected to decline 6 per cent from 2025 to 2035, from about 3.1 million jobs, as self-checkout and online ordering absorb transactions.
Yet the same projection shows about 521,300 openings every year, because so many people leave cashier jobs for other work. It is a shrinking occupation that still hires constantly. The self-checkout attendant role is part of that shift: fewer staffed lanes, with one worker supervising several machines, clearing errors and checking ID for age-restricted items.
Starting at 14 or 15
Cashier is one of the jobs federal law allows at 14. For workers aged 14 and 15, the Fair Labor Standards Act limits work to:
- No more than 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week
- No more than 8 hours on a non-school day and 40 hours in a non-school week
- Between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., extended to 9 p.m. from 1 June to Labor Day
There are no federal hours limits at 16 and 17, although many states set their own rules and some require a work permit for minors. Selling tobacco and alcohol brings its own age rules too: the federal minimum age to buy tobacco has been 21 since December 2019, and states decide how old a cashier must be to sell alcohol.
The Main Types of Cashier Job
- Grocery store cashier. High volume, produce codes and SNAP/EBT payments. Some of the better-paying cashier work.
- Retail and big-box cashier. Returns, store cards and seasonal peaks, with most hiring before the holidays.
- Fast food and restaurant cashier. Order-taking as well as payment. In California, $20 an hour at covered chains.
- Fuel station and convenience store cashier. Often night shifts and stocking duties, and the lowest industry median.
- Pharmacy cashier. Prescription pick-up, privacy rules and insurance questions at the counter.
- Self-checkout attendant. Supervising several machines at once, clearing errors and checking ID.
Can Foreigners Get Cashier Jobs in the USA?
Only with existing work authorization. Every new hire completes Form I-9 to prove they may work in the United States, and cashier work is not a realistic visa route from abroad: US employers do not sponsor work visas for checkout jobs. If you already hold a green card, work-authorized status or an employment authorization document, you can apply like anyone else. Our unskilled jobs in USA for foreigners guide explains the H-2B and EB-3 routes that come closest, and our hotel jobs guide covers seasonal hospitality work.
How to Get Hired
- Apply where the floor is higher. Grocery, home improvement and large fast food chains in higher-wage states pay the most.
- Lead with availability. Evenings, weekends and the holiday season are what stores are short of.
- Show cash confidence. Mention any job where you handled money, even informally.
- Ask two questions at interview: the hourly rate against your state minimum, and how till shortages are handled.
- Apply before the peaks. Holiday hiring starts in early autumn, and back-to-school hiring in July.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need experience to get a cashier job in the USA?
No. Most cashier jobs are entry-level with on-the-job training on the register. Basic maths, reliability and a friendly manner are usually enough.
How much do cashiers earn in the USA?
The BLS median was $15.81 an hour in May 2025. Grocery and home improvement stores pay more than that, and fuel stations less, and your state's minimum wage sets the floor.
Is $12 an hour legal for a cashier?
It depends on the state. It is below the 2026 minimum wage in California ($16.90), New York ($16.00 to $17.00) and Florida ($14.00), but legal in states that use the federal $7.25, such as Texas.
How much do fast food cashiers make in California?
At least $20.00 an hour since 1 April 2024 at limited-service restaurants in national chains with at least 60 establishments. Other restaurants follow the state minimum of $16.90.
Can my employer take a cash shortage out of my pay?
Not if the deduction takes your pay below the minimum wage or cuts overtime you are owed, according to the US Department of Labor. Several states restrict these deductions further.
Can a 14-year-old work as a cashier?
Yes, under federal law, with limits: no more than 3 hours on a school day, 18 hours in a school week, and only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. outside summer. States can set stricter rules.
Are cashier jobs disappearing because of self-checkout?
Shrinking, not disappearing. The BLS projects a 6 per cent decline from 2025 to 2035, but about 521,300 openings a year as workers move on.
Can foreigners get cashier jobs in the USA with visa sponsorship?
No. Employers do not sponsor work visas for cashier jobs. You need existing authorization to work in the US, which every employer checks on Form I-9.
People Also Search For
Grocery store cashier jobs
Among the better-paid cashier work, with a BLS median of $16.45 an hour in food and beverage retail.
Gas station cashier pay
The lowest industry median, $14.68 an hour, often with night shifts and stocking duties.
Fast food cashier jobs California
At least $20.00 an hour at national chains with 60 or more establishments.
Cashier minimum wage by state
From the federal $7.25 in states such as Texas to $16.90 in California and $17.13 in Washington in 2026.
Part-time cashier jobs
Common across grocery, retail and fast food, with evening and weekend shifts the easiest to get.
Cashier jobs for 14 and 15 year olds
Allowed under federal law with school-day limits of 3 hours and a 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. window outside summer.
Self-checkout attendant jobs
One worker supervising several machines, clearing errors and checking ID for age-restricted sales.
Cashier cash shortage deduction
Illegal under federal law if it takes your pay below the minimum wage or cuts overtime you are owed.
More Job Guides
Comparing entry-level work in the US and beyond? These cover it:
- Retail Jobs in USA — cashier against sales associate, and how far apart state wage floors really are.
- Retail Associate Jobs in USA — the step up from the register, and how the big chains run their hiring.
- Delivery Driver Jobs in USA — another fast entry route, and what app pay guarantees leave out.
- Unskilled Jobs in USA for Foreigners — the H-2B and EB-3 routes, and who can realistically use them.
- Hotel Jobs in USA for Foreigners — seasonal hospitality work and the visas behind it.
- Data Entry Jobs in USA — an office route with no degree requirement, and its real pay.
- Remote Customer Service Jobs — customer-facing work without the register.
- Customer Service Jobs in Canada — the same skills priced against provincial wage floors.
- Store Assistant Jobs in UK — the shop floor route, and why the pay figures everyone quotes are below the law.
- How to Apply for Walmart Store Associate Jobs in the USA — what Walmart actually pays, the benefits most guides skip, and the age rules.
- How to Apply for Home Depot Retail Jobs in the USA — store pay Home Depot prints itself, and the route from hourly to store leader.
- How to Apply for Starbucks Barista Jobs in the USA — the hours threshold that decides whether the benefits are yours.
This article is for general informational purposes and is not legal, careers or financial advice. Minimum wage rates, local ordinances, child labor rules and wage deduction rules change and differ by state and city. Confirm the current position with the US Department of Labor, your state labor department and the employer before applying or accepting an offer.
