US Costco Worker's $1M Savings Sparks Taiwan Wage Debate

A long-serving Costco employee in the United States has achieved significant financial success, accumulating over $1 million in retirement savings and purchasing a home with a pool, according to a recent report. Tony Barzar, a cashier at Costco for over 40 years, currently earns $32.90 per hour and has reportedly traveled to Europe twice in the past decade.

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I like interacting with customers.

Barzar, 60, has reportedly declined promotions to management, preferring to remain in his cashier role to interact with customers. He also took nearly a year of paid leave to care for his wife during her cancer treatment, returning to work part-time without a pay cut.

Costco's compensation practices, which are reportedly higher than most U.S. retailers, aim to reduce employee turnover and improve service. The company has implemented a "mentor" system for training new employees and offers benefits such as annual bonuses and an extra week of vacation for those with 30 years of service.

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Taiwan's Costco is still not as good as America's Costco.

News of Barzar's success has circulated online, prompting comparisons from Taiwanese netizens. While acknowledging Costco's good employee benefits in Taiwan, many expressed that local wages do not match those in the U.S. One Taiwanese employee shared on social media that their starting hourly wage in 2019 was NT$180, which has since risen to NT$365, more than doubling but still significantly less than Barzar's earnings.

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I started at NT$180 per hour in 2019, and this year I've finally reached NT$365.