14 Pros and Cons of Working at a Gas Station

Interested in a job at a gas station?

Whether it is a convenience store, C-store, fillup station, or truck stop, these all have one thing in common.

You sell fuel.

You also have to sell other items in order to make more money and to upgrade the facilities.

However, there is another thing that all of these gas stations have in common–they need workers.

You, too, can become a gas station employee.

Find out the pros and cons of working in a gas station or convenience store near you.

Pros of Working at a Gas Station

1. Lottery Tickets

You might not be someone who plays the lottery, but you will be selling it to a lot of people.

Gas stations are quite popular among those customers interested in gambling their life savings away.

I worked at a gas station for a couple of years, and it was very surprising to see the lottery players and their behaviors.

However, I also attended lottery training in Atlanta to learn how to play all of the different lottery games, for the customers of course.

Therefore, you do get into the lottery and gambling industry when you are working at a gas station.

2. Busy Workplace

A gas station is one of the busiest places you will work.

You can expect to see customers at any time, day or night, as people need to pump gas to get themselves to work and home again.

Gas stations provide a valuable resource and service for local communities, too.

You will have locals that come through the store where you work on a very frequent basis.

As a result, you can build your social network by working at this store.

3. Access to Food and Beverages

When you go to work at a gas station, typically you are selling food and drinks.

This means you also have access to the foods and beverages available to sell.

You do not have to worry about packing a lunch before heading out to work since there is food readily available to purchase on-site.

This frees up your schedule and makes life easier for you.

Plus, you might also get a discount by working at the store, you never know.

4. Work Uniforms

Most of the people who work at gas stations have to wear a uniform.

Therefore, you can finally say that you work at a job that requires you to wear a certain shirt or hat.

For some people, this is a huge perk as you can blend in better with the locals.

You also can avoid ruining your own clothing while at work. 

5. Knowing About Gas Prices

In this economy, gas prices are constantly fluctuating.

But when you are employed by a gas station, you will be in the front row of knowing what is going on with gas prices.

Find out the facts and have the right information based on your first-hand experience working at a gas station.

This can be very important if you are a traveler or do a lot of driving.

You can learn how to save money on gas for yourself!

6. Plenty of Work Opportunities

There are gas stations in every city big and small, and you can always find work with your experience as a gas station attendant.

Whether you are pumping gas at a full-service station in Oregon, or you are working as a cashier inside of a truck stop, you are doing a job that millions of others around the world are also doing.

There will never be a shortage of work for you, as you can find a job at a gas station anywhere including in third world countries.

7. Cigarettes are in Season

Gas stations are also very popular for people purchasing cigarettes and other tobacco-related products.

In fact, in many smaller towns, the only place to buy these products are at gas stations.

Therefore, for you, cigarettes are always in season.

I advise if you are not a smoker, to prepare yourself for the urge to light up a smoke after being around these products all day.

The lure is strong, and so is the odor.

Cons of Working at a Gas Station

1. The Hours are Long

Gas stations are open most of the day and night, and as a result, you might find yourself stuck in a long shift day after day.

I worked from 5 am to 3 pm when I worked at the c-store in my community.

This was a BP gas station that offered diesel for truckers, and we had to be open by the time the logging trucks rolled out of the woods.

It is important for a community that a gas station be open most hours, which is tough for the people working at the store.

2. Potential to be Robbed

At a gas station, you have access to a lot of cash and other high-value items from customers.

These customers who pay you for gas are also ready to rob you for that money.

Robberies are quite rampant in gas stations compared to large department stores, mainly because there may only be one person there handling the register.

Therefore, you always have that idea in the back of your mind that today might be the day you get robbed while at work at the gas station.

3. Low Wages

Working at a gas station is not the most prestigious position on the planet.

You end up not earning a lot in wages, and you may not have access to insurance or other benefits.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, a gas station manager makes about $22.50 an hour.

Therefore, as someone working at the register, you can expect to make half of that or less.

If you have zero experience you will have to start out at the bottom of the pay scale.

This can be difficult for some people especially if you have other work experiences, such as a college degree.

4. No Degree Required

This brings up the next point, which is that you do not need to get a certificate or degree in order to work at a gas station.

This is not a job that comes with training, either.

That can be a burden on you if you are not familiar with math or customer service.

When you are trying to get a job at a gas station, you in fact do not want to have a college degree or advanced training.

This can cause you to be too smart for the job and you might actually not get hired after all.

5. Gas Fumes

The smell of gas and diesel is toxic, and therefore, you might want to consider that as a reason why you should avoid working at a gas station.

Breathing in these fumes over the course of a year or more will have devastating effects on your health.

You might end up with lung cancer, who knows?

Either way, the use of a face mask with a respirator is the right choice to protect your health when working at a gas station.

This is especially the case if you are someone who spends all day pumping gas for customers, which is a requirement of gas stations in Oregon.

6. Low Prestige

If you tell someone you work at a gas station, they are going to look at you in a certain way.

It is just that since you do not need a college degree to be a gas station attendant or cashier, you have no career pathway.

This shows in the world of work, and people do shun others for working in these positions.

However, just like a garbage service, the gas station service is highly needed in our society.

7. No Room to Grow

As someone working at a gas station, there is no career advancement beyond manager.

Other than that, if you want to grow as a worker, you need to find a new job.

That sucks and is a big reason why some people avoid working at gas stations like the plague.

In this world, we all want jobs that are going to take us places, and gas stations are short-lived.

Pros and Cons of Working at a Gas Station – Summary Table

Pros of Working at a Gas Station	Cons of Working at a Gas Station
1. Lottery Tickets	1. The Hours are Long
2. Busy Workplace	2. Potential to be Robbed
3. Access to Food and Beverages	3. Low Wages
4. Work Uniforms	4. No Degree Required
5. Knowing About Gas Prices	5. Gas Fumes
6. Plenty of Work Opportunities	6. Low Prestige
7. Cigarettes are in Season	7. No Room to Grow

Should You Work at a Gas Station? 

If you like fast-paced work settings and have few job skills and no degree from a college, then you might find yourself employed at a gas station.

However, this is a short-term position due to the fact there are toxic fumes by way of fuel, as well as the threat of violence in robberies, on a daily basis.

Work at a gas station to learn about how these institutions operate, and then get yourself a college degree and work for better wages and working conditions.