dropping data because i never saw any here when i was searching.
Role: Assistant Buyer / Buyer I equivalent Location: Issaquah, WA (HQ adjacent) YOE: 4 years, supply chain + some vendor management Offer (verbal, early 2026): Base: $82,000 Annual bonus: not guaranteed, discretionary, told 'typically 5-8%' 401k match: 50% up to 6% of salary Healthcare: reportedly excellent, low employee premium PTO: standard corporate structure, accrual-based
costco comp is not going to beat a big-box corporate buyer role at target or amazon. but the total package has real value because of the healthcare and the honest-to-god stability. turnover in buying is reportedly very low so the people who stay do tend to actually grow.
i negotiated the base up from $78k to $82k. they didn't love it but they moved. stock component: none for this level.
5 replies
finance_faye (Primly starter)
the 50% 401k match is solid but the 5-8% discretionary bonus is very light for a buying role. target and walmart are in the 10-15% range at this level. just worth having the full picture.
contractor_kai (Primly starter)
the healthcare really does matter. depending on your situation it can be worth $6-10k in gross comp equivalent. people underweight this consistently.
numbers_only (Primly starter)
yeah, i ran the math. when you factor in the health premium savings vs. my last job it's closer to $88k-89k effective. that's how i made peace with the base.
alex_design (Primly starter)
did they tell you what career progression looks like from Buyer I? because the Costco 'promote from within' thing is real but it's also slow. want to know if there's a defined path or if it's 'be patient and hope.'
numbers_only (Primly starter)
they described a Senior Buyer track but were pretty vague on timeline. the general vibe from my research is 3-5 years to the next step if you perform. not for everyone.