# How old do you have to be to work at ALDI?

You have to be at least 18 to work at ALDI. State law can raise the age.

ALDI's US careers FAQ says the company has decided employees must be 18 to work at ALDI. Stores are company-run (not franchised), so the rule is the same in every state, even where state law would allow younger workers.

- Minimum age: 18
- Most locations: 18
- Franchised: no
- Confidence: Company-confirmed
- Checked: 2026-10-10

## By job

- Store associate (cashier/stocker): 18+ (Company-wide rule per ALDI careers FAQ)
- Warehouse associate: 18+ (Company-wide rule per ALDI careers FAQ)

## By state (youngest possible age)

| State | Age | Work permit |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 18 | no |
| Alaska | 18 | no |
| Arizona | 18 | no |
| Arkansas | 18 | no |
| California | 18 | no |
| Colorado | 18 | no |
| Connecticut | 18 | no |
| Delaware | 18 | no |
| District of Columbia | 18 | no |
| Florida | 18 | no |
| Georgia | 18 | no |
| Hawaii | 18 | no |
| Idaho | 18 | no |
| Illinois | 18 | no |
| Indiana | 18 | no |
| Iowa | 18 | no |
| Kansas | 18 | no |
| Kentucky | 18 | no |
| Louisiana | 18 | no |
| Maine | 18 | no |
| Maryland | 18 | no |
| Massachusetts | 18 | no |
| Michigan | 18 | no |
| Minnesota | 18 | no |
| Mississippi | 18 | no |
| Missouri | 18 | no |
| Montana | 18 | no |
| Nebraska | 18 | no |
| Nevada | 18 | no |
| New Hampshire | 18 | no |
| New Jersey | 18 | no |
| New Mexico | 18 | no |
| New York | 18 | no |
| North Carolina | 18 | no |
| North Dakota | 18 | no |
| Ohio | 18 | no |
| Oklahoma | 18 | no |
| Oregon | 18 | no |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | no |
| Rhode Island | 18 | no |
| South Carolina | 18 | no |
| South Dakota | 18 | no |
| Tennessee | 18 | no |
| Texas | 18 | no |
| Utah | 18 | no |
| Vermont | 18 | no |
| Virginia | 18 | no |
| Washington | 18 | no |
| West Virginia | 18 | no |
| Wisconsin | 18 | no |
| Wyoming | 18 | no |

## Questions

**How old do you have to be to work at ALDI?**
You have to be at least 18 to work at ALDI. State law can raise the age.

**Does ALDI hire 16-year-olds?**
No. ALDI's own US careers FAQ says employees must be 18 to work at ALDI. This applies to every store, so a 16- or 17-year-old can't be hired as a cashier or stocker even if their state allows teens to work.

**Can a 14- or 15-year-old work at ALDI?**
No. ALDI's minimum age is 18 in the US. If you're 14 or 15, look at grocery chains that hire younger baggers, or come back to ALDI after your 18th birthday.

**Why does ALDI only hire 18-year-olds?**
ALDI just says it 'has made the decision' that employees must be 18. ALDI cashiers also stock shelves, run the register alone and handle tasks like operating equipment, which helps explain the single company-wide rule, but ALDI doesn't give an official reason.

**How much does ALDI pay new store workers?**
ALDI has said its national average starting wage for store jobs is about $18 an hour. The actual rate depends on the store's location and the job, so check the pay shown on each posting at careers.aldi.us.

## Sources

- ALDI US Careers FAQ: https://careers.aldi.us/faq
- ALDI now paying workers up to $23 an hour; hiring at least 13K employees: https://idahonews.com/news/nation-world/aldi-now-paying-workers-up-to-23-an-hour-hiring-at-least-13k-employees-workers-staff-career-grocery-stores-market-food-shopping-prices-inflation-economy-holiday-season-health-insurance-benefits-parental-caregiver-leave

Page: https://hiringage.com/aldi/ — please cite with a link.