Walgreens’ job is everywhere. Nearly 9,000 stores across the U.S., which means they’re constantly hiring. That’s good news if you need a job—retail and pharmacy positions turn over regularly, and Walgreens needs bodies in stores.
But “constantly hiring” doesn’t mean the application process is simple or that getting hired is guaranteed. Walgreens uses an online system that automatically rejects a lot of applicants for reasons that aren’t always clear. The assessment portion trips people up. And once you’re hired, the job itself can be very different depending on whether you’re in a busy urban pharmacy, a quiet suburban store, or working the overnight shift at a 24-hour location.
If you’re thinking about applying to Walgreens, you need to understand how their system actually works, what different positions entail, and what you’re realistically signing up for. Let’s talk about the real application process, what these jobs pay, and whether Walgreens is worth your time.
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What Jobs Actually Exist at Walgreens
Customer Service Associates
These are entry-level retail positions. You’re running the register, helping customers find products, stocking shelves, facing merchandise so everything looks neat, working the photo department if your store still has one, and cleaning. Constantly cleaning.
The work isn’t complicated, but it requires being on your feet for entire shifts, dealing with a steady stream of customers (some pleasant, many not), and multitasking when things get busy. You’re helping someone find cough medicine while another customer is waiting at the register and the phone is ringing, someone needs photo prints, and your manager is asking you to stock the cooler.
Beauty Consultants
They do similar work but focus on the cosmetics section. If your store has a substantial beauty department, you’re helping customers choose products, demonstrating makeup, processing returns, keeping the beauty section organized, and trying to upsell when possible. Some people love this because it feels more specialized. Others find it’s just regular cashier work with extra steps.
Shift Leads
They are the first step above entry-level. You’re doing everything a Customer Service Associate does, plus supervising other employees, handling cash drops, dealing with customer complaints that are too big for regular associates, sometimes opening or closing the store, and filling in gaps when people call out. You make a couple of dollars more per hour for significantly more responsibility and stress.
Assistant Store Managers
These are full-time supervisory roles. You’re scheduling employees, managing inventory orders, handling serious customer issues, enforcing company policies, doing some hiring and training, and running the store when the Store Manager isn’t there. The pay is better—$17 to $24 per hour typically—but you’re working 40+ hours, dealing with constant staffing problems, and caught between corporate expectations and store-level reality.
Store Managers
They run the entire operation. You’re responsible for sales targets, labor costs, inventory shrinkage, employee performance, customer satisfaction, and keeping the store operational. The base salary is $50,000 to $70,000+ plus bonuses if you hit targets, which sounds decent until you realize you’re working 50-60-hour workweeks managing understaffed stores with constant turnover.
Pharmacy Technicians
They work behind the pharmacy counter, supporting pharmacists. You’re taking prescription information from customers, entering data into the system, counting pills, labeling bottles, managing inventory, processing insurance claims, and answering phones constantly. It’s fast-paced, detail-oriented work where mistakes have serious consequences.
You can start as an uncertified tech in many states and get trained on the job, or you can get certified first. Certified techs make $15 to $22 per hour, depending on location and experience. The work is more interesting than regular retail, and there’s a clearer career path, but the pharmacy environment can be incredibly stressful—long lines, angry customers, insurance problems, doctors’ offices that won’t respond, and pharmacists who are overworked and sometimes take it out on techs.
Pharmacists
They are obviously the highest-paid store-level employees at $50 to $65 per hour, but they’re also under immense pressure. You’re responsible for everything that happens in the pharmacy—every prescription filled, every counseling session, every insurance issue, every question from techs. You’re dealing with staff shortages, unrealistic corporate productivity metrics, and customers who treat you like you’re personally responsible for their insurance not covering their medication.
Distribution center and warehouse roles
They are completely different from store jobs. You’re working in large fulfillment centers, often with set schedules, doing physical work moving products. The pay is competitive—$17 to $25 per hour—and overtime is common. If you want steady hours without dealing with customers, warehouse work beats retail.
Corporate positions
They exist in HR, IT, marketing, finance, and operations, but those are professional career roles requiring relevant degrees and experience. That’s a totally different application process from store-level jobs.
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How the Walgreens Application Actually Works (And Why It Frustrates People)
Everything happens through jobs.walgreens.com. No paper applications. No walking in and talking to a manager first (though we’ll get to why you should still do this after applying online).
You create an account
This is straightforward—email, basic info, work history. You can upload a resume, but you’ll still need to manually enter everything into their system because that’s how these things work.
You search for positions
Do this by location and job type. Pro tip: apply to multiple stores in your area if possible. One Walgreens might be fully staffed while another two miles away desperately needs people. Hiring is done store by store, not centrally.
You complete the application
This asks standard questions about availability, education, work history, and eligibility to work in the U.S. Be honest about your availability. If you can only work weekends, say that. Don’t claim open availability to look better and then try to restrict it later—that creates problems.
Then comes the assessment
This is where a lot of people get frustrated. Walgreens uses personality and situational judgment tests for most positions. You’ll answer questions about how you’d handle workplace scenarios, rate statements about your work style, and respond to questions designed to assess reliability and customer service orientation.
There’s no way to “game” these assessments completely, but there are patterns. The company wants people who are customer-focused, reliable, team-oriented, and honest. They’re screening out people who seem likely to steal, show up late constantly, or create drama with coworkers.
Here’s what trips people up
Being too honest in ways that make you look unreliable. Questions like “Do you ever bend rules if you think they’re unfair?” or “Have you ever called out sick when you weren’t actually sick?” are testing whether you’ll admit to things that make you look like a problem employee. Everyone has bent a rule or called out when they weren’t deathly ill, but admitting it in a hiring assessment is shooting yourself in the foot.
Similarly, questions about handling angry customers or workplace conflict—the “right” answer is always the one that prioritizes customer satisfaction and involves getting management involved rather than handling it yourself. Walgreens wants people who follow procedures, not mavericks who think they know better.
If you pass the assessment
Your application goes into “Under Review,” and eventually, someone from the store might contact you. “Might” is doing a lot of work in that sentence because communication varies wildly. Some stores call within days. Others never call, even if you’re qualified. The system is inconsistent.
The phone screen
If it happens, it is brief. Why do you want to work at Walgreens (correct answer: something about customer service and career growth, not “I need money”). What’s your availability? When can you start? Do you have reliable transportation? It’s not a real interview—it’s confirming basic information and gauging whether you communicate clearly.
The actual interview
This happens next if you clear the phone screen. It’s usually with the Store Manager or Assistant Manager, sometimes the Pharmacy Manager for pharmacy roles. Expect standard retail interview questions: Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult customer. Why should we hire you? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Where do you see yourself in a year?
They’re assessing whether you’ll show up, whether you can interact with customers without creating problems, and whether you seem reasonably competent. The bar isn’t super high for entry-level positions, but you do need to seem reliable and personable.
Background checks
This will happen after they decide to hire you. Walgreens checks criminal history and verifies past employment. Minor issues usually won’t disqualify you, but recent theft or violence convictions might, especially for pharmacy positions.
Then you wait for your start date
This can be surprisingly far out. They might interview you in early January and not schedule you to start until late January or February. This frustrates people who need income immediately, but that’s how retail scheduling works—they’re fitting you into existing schedules and training plans.
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Why People Get Auto-Rejected (And How to Avoid It)
The most common complaint about Walgreens applications: “I applied and got an immediate rejection email.” This happens for several reasons.
You failed the assessment. The system automatically screens out applicants who don’t meet their personality and reliability thresholds. If your answers suggested you’d be unreliable, dishonest, or difficult to manage, you’re out.
You don’t meet basic qualifications. If you’re under 18 applying for a pharmacy tech role, or you indicated you have zero availability during the store’s operating hours, the system filters you out.
The position is actually filled. Sometimes job postings stay active even after they’ve found candidates, and the system just rejects new applicants.
You’ve applied too many times recently. If you’ve applied to Walgreens multiple times in a short period and been rejected, the system might flag you as not a good fit.
How to improve your chances: Take the assessment seriously. Read questions carefully. Answer in ways that demonstrate reliability, customer focus, and teamwork. Don’t be overly negative or admit to things that make you look like a problem employee. And apply to multiple store locations—each store makes its own hiring decisions.
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What These Jobs Actually Pay (And What That Means for Your Life)
Customer Service Associates
They make $13 to $17 per hour in most markets, maybe higher in expensive cities with elevated minimum wages. If you’re part-time at 20-25 hours per week, that’s $260 to $425 weekly before taxes, or roughly $1,000 to $1,700 monthly. That’s tight if you’re living independently. It works if you’re a student with housing covered, or if this is supplemental income.
Shift Leads
These people at $15 to $20 per hour do slightly better, but you’re working more hours and dealing with more stress. Full-time at $17/hour is about $35,000 annually before taxes—enough to get by in lower cost-of-living areas, barely enough in expensive cities.
Assistant Store Managers
Assistant store managers at $17 to $24 per hour (roughly $35,000 to $50,000 annually) are in that awkward salary range where you’re making more than hourly workers but still not enough to feel financially comfortable, especially in urban areas. And you’re working more hours than entry-level employees for that moderately better pay.
Store Managers
These people at $50,000 to $70,000 base plus potential bonuses sounds decent, but factor in the 50-60 hour weeks, constant stress, and liability of running the store, and you’re effectively making $20 to $25 per hour. For the same hours and stress level, you could manage at other retailers or pivot to corporate roles that pay better.
Pharmacy Technicians
Pharmacy technicians at $15 to $22 per hour are making similar money to Shift Leads, but with a more specialized skill set and a clearer career progression. Certified techs can move into specialty pharmacy roles, hospital settings, or supervise other techs. It’s a legitimate healthcare career path if you’re willing to deal with the stress.
Benefits matter if you qualify. Full-time employees get health insurance, 401(k) matching, paid time off, and employee discounts. But “full-time” at Walgreens isn’t always guaranteed—some employees hover around 32-38 hours per week, which is full-time for benefits but not quite 40 hours. And part-time employees get minimal benefits beyond the employee discount.
The employee discount (15-20% on most items, more on Walgreens brand) adds up if you regularly shop there, but it’s not life-changing.
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Common Mistakes That Hurt Your Application
Claiming open availability when you’re not actually available. This creates immediate problems when they try to schedule you and you can’t work those shifts.
Rushing through the assessment without reading carefully. People miss nuance in questions and give answers that flag them as problematic.
Not following up after applying. The online system is impersonal. Calling the store a few days after applying and politely asking about your application status can move you from “ignored” to “interviewed.”
Applying only to the single most convenient location. That store might not need anyone. Apply to 3-5 stores in your area to increase odds.
Having a sloppy online presence. Some hiring managers Google applicants or check social media. If the first page of results shows you partying, complaining about jobs, or generally looking unprofessional, that hurts you.
Being late or unprepared for the interview. Basic stuff, but it matters. Show up 10 minutes early, bring a copy of your resume, dress business casual (not a suit, but clean and presentable), and have answers ready for common interview questions.
Not asking any questions during the interview. This makes you seem uninterested. Ask about training, typical schedules, opportunities for advancement, store culture—anything that shows you’re thinking seriously about the role.
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The Pharmacy Tech Path (Is Certification Worth It?)
A lot of people see pharmacy tech as the better Walgreens career path compared to regular retail, and they’re not wrong. But certification requires investment—time and sometimes money—and you need to understand what you’re getting into.
Uncertified techs can work in many states while training, making less money ($15-17/hour typically) and doing more limited tasks while they get certified. Walgreens will often train you on the job and cover certification costs if you commit to staying for a certain period.
Certified techs (PTCB or ExCPT certification) make more—$18 to $22 per hour usually—and have more responsibilities and career options. The certification exam costs around $130 plus study materials, and you need to meet eligibility requirements and maintain continuing education.
Is it worth it? If you’re planning to stay in pharmacy long-term, absolutely. Certified techs have more job security, better pay, and can move into hospital pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, or supervisory roles. If you’re just looking for a temporary job, maybe not—the uncertified route lets you work immediately without the upfront investment.
The pharmacy environment is stressful, though. You’re dealing with sick people, insurance nightmares, impatient customers who don’t understand why their prescription takes time to fill, and constant pressure to work faster. If you don’t handle stress well or aren’t detail-oriented, pharmacy tech work will break you.
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Is Walgreens Worth Your Time?
Walgreens makes sense if you:
- Need a job quickly and don’t have much experience
- Want part-time hours that work around school or another commitment
- Are interested in pharmacy as a career and want to get certified
- Value the convenience of working close to home (there’s probably a Walgreens nearby)
- Want the structure and predictability of a large corporate employer
Walgreens probably isn’t worth it if you:
- Need high wages immediately (entry-level pay is mediocre)
- Want a job with minimal customer interaction (you’ll deal with people constantly)
- Expect perfect scheduling consistency (retail schedules fluctuate)
- Are looking for a long-term retail management career (the pay and stress balance isn’t great)
- Can’t handle repetitive work or corporate bureaucracy
For most people, Walgreens is a stepping stone—a way to make money while you’re in school, between better opportunities, or figuring out what you really want to do. Some people do build long-term careers there, especially in pharmacy, but they’re the exception.
The application process is annoying with its automated assessments and spotty communication, but if you’re persistent and apply to multiple locations, you’ll probably get hired eventually if you meet basic qualifications. Just understand what you’re signing up for—it’s retail work with all the challenges that entails, plus the added complexity of pharmacy operations if you go that route.