Five Below has carved out a unique and rapidly growing niche in the American retail landscape, attracting millions of customers with its fun, trend-right products all priced at $5 or less. For job seekers, this translates into a dynamic environment with surprising opportunities for career growth. Whether you're seeking your first job or a path to retail management, understanding the salary landscape is crucial.
Careers at Five Below offer compensation that scales with responsibility, ranging from competitive hourly wages for in-store crew members to substantial annual salaries for store and district leadership. This guide will break down what you can expect to earn and how to maximize your income potential with this popular retail brand.
What Do Five Below Employees Do?
While many people think of a single "job" at a retail store, Five Below operates with a team structure composed of distinct roles, each with specific responsibilities.
- Sales Associate (Crew Member): This is the face of the company for most customers. Responsibilities include providing a positive customer experience, operating the cash register, recovering and restocking merchandise on the sales floor, receiving shipments, and maintaining store cleanliness and organization.
- Support Lead (Key Holder): A step up from a Sales Associate, a Support Lead takes on more responsibility, including opening and closing the store, managing cash registers, and leading the crew in the absence of a manager. They are critical to daily operations.
- Assistant Store Manager / Customer Experience Manager: This is a key leadership role focused on driving sales and ensuring an excellent customer journey. They are heavily involved in hiring, training, and coaching crew members, managing inventory, and assisting the Store Manager with operational planning and execution.
- Store Manager: The Store Manager is the leader of the entire store. They are ultimately responsible for the store’s financial performance (P&L), recruiting and developing the entire team, managing inventory and payroll, executing corporate merchandising plans, and creating a productive and positive store culture.
Average Five Below Salary
Compensation at Five Below varies significantly based on the role. It’s best to look at salaries in two categories: hourly wages for non-exempt employees and annual salaries for management.
According to salary data aggregated by Payscale, the average hourly wage for a Five Below Sales Associate is approximately $12.30 per hour, with a common range falling between $9 and $15 per hour. Support Leads (Key Holders) can expect to earn slightly more.
For salaried management, the figures increase substantially. Glassdoor reports that the typical salary for a Five Below Store Manager falls between $54,000 and $73,000 per year, with an average base pay around $62,000. Assistant Store Managers typically earn a competitive hourly wage, often in the range of $18 to $22 per hour, which translates to an annual income of approximately $37,000 to $45,000 before overtime.
*Source: Data retrieved from Payscale.com and Glassdoor.com as of late 2023. Ranges can vary.*
Key Factors That Influence Salary
Your specific salary or hourly wage at Five Below is not a single number; it's influenced by a combination of critical factors.
### Level of Education
For entry-level roles like Sales Associate, a high school diploma or equivalent is typically sufficient. However, for those aspiring to management, a higher level of education can be a significant advantage. A bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Marketing, or a related field can make a candidate more competitive for Assistant Store Manager positions or internal leadership development programs, potentially leading to a higher starting salary and a faster career trajectory toward a Store Manager role.
### Years of Experience
Experience is one of the most powerful drivers of compensation in retail.
- Entry-Level (0-2 years): New employees will typically start as Sales Associates at the lower end of the hourly wage scale. Consistent performance can lead to a promotion to a Support Lead role within a year or two, accompanied by a pay raise.
- Mid-Career (2-5 years): Professionals with several years of retail experience, especially with some supervisory responsibility, are strong candidates for Assistant Store Manager positions. This is where earnings shift from a standard hourly wage to a higher, leadership-level wage.
- Experienced (5+ years): To secure a Store Manager position, candidates usually need at least 3-5 years of retail management experience. Those with a proven track record of managing high-volume stores, controlling costs, and developing teams can command salaries at the higher end of the range, often supplemented by performance-based bonuses.
### Geographic Location
Where you work matters immensely. State and city minimum wage laws create a baseline for hourly pay, meaning a Sales Associate in California or New York will inherently earn more per hour than one in a state with a lower minimum wage.
Furthermore, companies adjust salaries for managers based on the local cost of living and the competitiveness of the regional job market. A Store Manager in a major metropolitan area like Chicago or Boston will almost certainly have a higher base salary than a manager in a smaller, rural town to compensate for significantly higher living expenses.
### Company Type
While this article focuses on Five Below, it's helpful to understand the distinction between roles. Compensation is fundamentally different between in-store retail roles and corporate positions. Five Below’s headquarters in Philadelphia employs professionals in marketing, finance, logistics, merchandising, and IT. These roles follow different salary structures based on their specific industry standards and typically require specialized degrees and experience, often paying significantly more than store-level positions. Within the stores, the manager of a high-volume, flagship store may have greater bonus potential than one in a lower-traffic location.
### Area of Specialization
Within the retail management track, "specialization" equates to the scope of responsibility. An Assistant Store Manager who specializes in merchandising and inventory control may be seen as more valuable and could progress more quickly than one who focuses only on front-end operations. For Store Managers, developing a specialization in talent development or multi-unit oversight can be the stepping stone to a promotion as a District Manager—a role that comes with a significant increase in salary and responsibility for multiple store locations.
Job Outlook
While the broader retail sector faces shifts due to e-commerce, the outlook for specific roles remains strong, especially within a growth-oriented company like Five Below.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that overall employment for Retail Salespersons will show little to no change from 2022 to 2032. However, the BLS notes that a high number of job openings are expected each year due to the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force.
For management, the outlook is steady. The BLS projects a 3% growth rate for First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers (the category that includes store managers) over the same period, which is about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Crucially, Five Below is in a major expansion phase, with plans to open hundreds of new stores. This corporate growth directly translates into a high demand for new crew members, Support Leads, Assistant Managers, and Store Managers, making it an excellent place to find opportunities and build a career.
Conclusion
A career at Five Below offers a clear and accessible entry point into the retail industry with a tangible path for advancement.
Key Takeaways:
- Diverse Roles, Diverse Pay: Earnings range from hourly wages for crew members (averaging around $12/hour) to salaried positions for Store Managers (averaging over $60,000/year).
- Experience is King: Your earnings grow directly with your experience and level of responsibility, from Sales Associate to Store Manager.
- Location Matters: Your pay will be significantly influenced by your state's minimum wage and the local cost of living.
- Growth Creates Opportunity: Five Below's rapid expansion means a strong and consistent demand for talent at all levels.
For anyone looking for a dynamic work environment where hard work can lead to real leadership opportunities, exploring a career at Five Below is a smart and promising move.