The Nordstrom family owns Nordstrom with a 31.2% stake in the company. Swedish immigrant John W. Nordstrom founded the company, initially just one shoe store, in 1901. Carl F. Wallin, the other founder, had a shoe repair shop adjacent to Nordstrom's. 1930 saw the grand opening of the remodeled Second Avenue store.

Working At Nordstrom: Company Overview and Culture

Q: How many employees does Nordstrom have?

Nordstrom has 74,000 employees.

Q: How much money does Nordstrom make?

Nordstrom generates $15.0B in revenue.

Q: What industry is Nordstrom in?

Nordstrom is in the retail industry.

Q: What is Nordstrom's mission?

Nordstrom's mission statement is "To continue our dedication to providing a unique range of products, exceptional customer service, and great experiences."

Q: Who are Nordstrom's competitors?

Nordstrom competitors include Gap Inc., Dillard's, American Eagle Outfitters, Aeropostale, Forever 21, Kohl's, JCPenney, Anthropologie, The TJX Companies, Chico's FAS, Target, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Best Buy, Staples, Sears Holdings, Ross Stores, Burlington, The Home Depot.

Q: Who works at Nordstrom?

Erik B. Nordstrom (CEO) Carl Wallin (Founder) John Nordstrom (Founder)

Q: Does Nordstrom drug test?

Yes, Nordstrom does drug test, specifically in the event of a workplace accident. However, Nordstrom does not typically perform pre-employment drug tests. Nordstom strictly prohibits using, being under the influence of, possessing, or distributing drugs, drug paraphernalia, and alcohol on company property or time, including break and meal periods.

Q: Does Nordstrom hire felons?

Yes, Nordstrom does hire felons on a case-by-case basis. Some felonies, however, like theft, or physical or sexual assault, likely disqualify a candidate from employment. The company gives some positive indications of hiring felons, and has posted job vacancies on felon-friendly job boards in the past. We have found several examples of former and current Nordstrom employees who were hired with felonies.

Q: How do you answer, "Why are you interested in working for Nordstrom"?

You answer. "Why are you interested in working for Nordstrom?" by relating the company mission, culture, products, and services to your own professional goals. We recommend coming up with at least three reasons why you want to work at Nordstrom that reflect your own interests and passions.

Q: How do you write a cover letter for a job at Nordstrom?

You write a cover letter for a job at Nordstrom by focusing on how your passion and interests align with the company and job. Take one of Nordstom's core tenets, for example, is to treat staff as family. With this in mind, express your enthusiasm for joining the Nordstrom team, and how you look at your coworkers as a second family.

Nordstrom overview

Industry

Retail

Revenue

$15B

Headquarters

Seattle, WA

Employees

74,000

Founded in

1901

Website

Organization type

Public

CEO

Erik B. Nordstrom

Social media

Nordstrom is a retail company focusing on luxury department stores, high-end fashion, and diverse employment. Founded in 1901 in Seattle, Washington by John W. Nordstrom, the company has grown into an industry leader with 74,000 employees and an annual revenue of $15.5 billion. Headquartered in its city of origin, Nordstrom remains a prominent name in the world of luxury retail.

The company is known for its diverse workforce, with 66.1% female and 42.0% ethnic minority employees. Despite this diversity, the majority of Nordstrom's employees align with the Democratic Party at 84%. CEO Erik B. Nordstrom leads the company as it maintains its strong position in the market. With competitive salaries and employee retention averaging 3.6 years, Nordstrom continues to thrive as a respected name in high-end fashion and retail.

Nordstrom's mission statement

To continue our dedication to providing a unique range of products, exceptional customer service, and great experiences.

Nordstrom employee reviews

3.9/5

Based on 67 ratings

Work at Nordstrom? Share your experience.

Employee reviews

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2024

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Excellent learning and growing work environment. There is mobility within the opportunity structure. Great pay and benefits.

Nordstrom benefits

Growth, upward mobility!

What do you like best about Nordstrom's CEO and the leadership team?

Training and education.

How would you improve Nordstrom's culture?

To be more selective when hiring. Don’t be so focused on DEI that you compromise on intelligence, integrity, and sophistication, remember who your buying are!!

How did you prepare for the Nordstrom interview?

I definitely looked the part and prepared my resume and recommendations.

How does your compensation at Nordstrom compare to the industry average?

Compensated above average in salary and benefits compared to other retail stores.

What's the diversity at Nordstrom like?

I do not believe in hiring based on race, sex, or gender. I believe hiring should be based on intelligence, obtained university degree, and experience. And how well the applicant’s knowledge skill & ability matches the job description, qualifications, and requirements.

What brings you the most joy at Nordstrom?

A satisfied returning customer.

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2024

Pros of working at Nordstrom

I loved working with the customers to assist with shopping needs. We worked as a team on the sales floor. Lots of cool products to suggest to customers.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Competitive sales. InvIn

Nordstrom benefits

Just the great deals at Nordstrom Rack. There are also a lot of amazing people who work there.

What do you like best about Nordstrom's CEO and the leadership team?

They expect only the best from you. They encourage you to assist the customer by any means possible. They are helpful in supporting their employees and give opportunity for growth.

How would you improve Nordstrom's culture?

I think that Nordstrom has an amazing business model and they are one of the best retail markets today so I don't have anything to add.

How did you prepare for the Nordstrom interview?

I practiced what I would say because I sometimes get anxious about interviews. I also edited my resume to reflect the job position before arriving early in my best outfit.

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2024

Pros of working at Nordstrom

high standards of customer service with lots of opportunities in making high commissions

Cons of working at Nordstrom

long standing hours during sales days and taking customers to another department wo help them sell other areas

Nordstrom benefits

perks of high commissions with extras bonuses. benefits store discounts and lots of awards and rewards when one exceeds the store expectations

What do you like best about Nordstrom's CEO and the leadership team?

all down to earth with friendly and positive attitudes

How would you improve Nordstrom's culture?

none to talk about all perfect.

How did you prepare for the Nordstrom interview?

just being honest, professional and gave it all what I can to reach out to their levels

How does your compensation at Nordstrom compare to the industry average?

excellent

What's the diversity at Nordstrom like?

very well organized

What brings you the most joy at Nordstrom?

just helping others and approaching the level of success

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2024

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Inverted pyramid, Employees actually have a voice and are involved in decisions within their competency. Open door policy-all Executives are available and approachable

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Had 9 bosses in a 5 year period

Nordstrom benefits

Discount

What do you like best about Nordstrom's CEO and the leadership team?

Approachable and live the Company Culture

How would you improve Nordstrom's culture?

If you are not aligned with the Company politics, you should still be comfortable expressing what you do believe in.

How did you prepare for the Nordstrom interview?

Spoke to multiple Employees at all levels, for a clear understanding of expectations

How does your compensation at Nordstrom compare to the industry average?

Slightly lower, and once you hit top of the range within your position, there are no more increases.

What's the diversity at Nordstrom like?

Was the most diverse Organization I worked for. Diversity and inclusion is a Company priority

What brings you the most joy at Nordstrom?

Had the ability to build out locations in a major Metropolitan Area

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1.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2024

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Pros for this company are very limited: decent pay. That's it.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Unorganized, unprofessional, lack of empathy, lack of proper leadership, favoritism, scandal's within, lack of accountability, lack of responsible leadership, 0 room for promoting within because they outsource employees for management roles, attendance policy is a joke, you face retaliation if you report any incidents, numerus lawsuits constantly against this company. Hiring is a revolving door because they can't keep people here longer than a few months due to their ridiculous expectation of their employees. And way more...

Nordstrom benefits

overtime constantly...

What do you like best about Nordstrom's CEO and the leadership team?

If you work like a dog and make all of your leadership like you, they may be more willing to work with you.

How would you improve Nordstrom's culture?

hiring a new fresh face for every single leadership role

How did you prepare for the Nordstrom interview?

I was hired during Covid, I didn't have an interview.

How does your compensation at Nordstrom compare to the industry average?

It averages higher than most companies.

What's the diversity at Nordstrom like?

this company is pretty diverse.

What brings you the most joy at Nordstrom?

Personally it would be when I get to clock out for the day.

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2023

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Solid career path, company values, inclusion collaboration, work life balance, leadership, training, innovative and creative opportunities, community involvement

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Expectations were sometimes overwhelming but I was up for the challenges. Other companies may have paid more for the positions I held but I would not trade the experience for anything!

Nordstrom benefits

Being surrounded by fashion and beautiful things, making people happy, being valued, working for a family orientation . Loved the bonus program and of course the discount

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2023

Pros of working at Nordstrom

The company did a fantastic job of making sure employees felt safe and heard. They treated all individuals with respect and care. We were allowed to have opinions and felt like we were being heard. They made sure everyone felt comfortable with training and ongoing learning throughout, but also cared about the individual person and about making sure we had a great quality of life.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

There really wasn’t anything to not like about the company to be honest. I really enjoyed my time there, but I am ready to explore new challenges in my career.

Nordstrom benefits

The meeting when we got to bind with other departments, the medical benefits and the hours were pretty great.

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2022

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Helping people and building relationships with them.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Working weekends and some holidays.

Nordstrom benefits

Health insurance.

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2022

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Company Culture

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Pay is not competitive

Nordstrom benefits

Merchandise discount; PTO accrual; health benefits

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2022

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Helping fulfill customers needs

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Some co workers are hard to work with.

Nordstrom benefits

we get a 20% discount

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022

Pros of working at Nordstrom

The People were always so Friendly

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Nothing

Nordstrom benefits

Making the customer happy and satisfied for their purchase

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Friendly environment

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Management can slow your progression through the company

Nordstrom benefits

10% employee discount

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022

Pros of working at Nordstrom

The Culture

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Could not transfer my mid -night shift for a day shift.

Nordstrom benefits

Discounts

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3.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022

Pros of working at Nordstrom

happy environment

Cons of working at Nordstrom

hard to move up in the company

Nordstrom benefits

a 20% discount at Nordstrom

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3.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2021

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Being able to learn about different brands and lean about the fashion industry from a retail perspective

Cons of working at Nordstrom

The micromanage, the return policy

Nordstrom benefits

The insurance, discount making ur own paychecks

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2021

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Freedom to wear what you want

Cons of working at Nordstrom

The move up process / work life balance

Nordstrom benefits

Discount

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2021

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Nice people.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

There systems are so outdated.

Nordstrom benefits

I guess the discount.

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2021

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Customer Service Training, the people that you meet. You can sell anywhere

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Not enough hours, commission get taken away after return

Nordstrom benefits

Discount,profit sharan delivery matching 401

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2021

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Perks

Cons of working at Nordstrom

I did not like the culture while working at Nordstrom, managers always had their favorites and you were not able to get ahead.

Nordstrom benefits

Discount

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2021

Pros of working at Nordstrom

I love helping clients and brainstorming strategies to increase sales and brand recognition.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

I love what I do! However, I would like to have the opportunity to collaborate with a team.

Nordstrom benefits

Designing with integrity and heart.

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2021

Pros of working at Nordstrom

independence, clear communication, open hours

Cons of working at Nordstrom

lots of walking, strained feet

Nordstrom benefits

open hours

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2021

Pros of working at Nordstrom

The environment and people I was blessed to work with.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Sometimes felt I was not truly appreciated.

Nordstrom benefits

N/A

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2021

Pros of working at Nordstrom

I love the diversity among my co-workers.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

There is not one thing I do not like about Nordstrom

Nordstrom benefits

I enjoy the discounts that employees get, how we can all get along and work well together, and how managers make us feel like we can share our thought and opinions on work processes.

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2021

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Friendly atmosphere, opportunity to earn a good wage if you’re a passionate seller.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Pressure to sell, sell, sell and push ‘remote sales’ from managers.

Nordstrom benefits

Company matching 401K and good health insurance discounts.

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3.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2021

Pros of working at Nordstrom

I really enjoyed the team I worked with and I learned a lot from many departments.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

People are power hungry. They are unwilling to change.

Nordstrom benefits

Discounts!

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2021

Pros of working at Nordstrom

customers, employees . everything

Cons of working at Nordstrom

nothing comes to mind

Nordstrom benefits

building a great customer base, working as a team. having the sense urgency and building trust with clients and coworkers.

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2021

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Great atmosphere beautiful spa

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Long hours

Nordstrom benefits

Discounts in the store and bartering with other professionals

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2021

Pros of working at Nordstrom

work-life balance, friendly working environment

Cons of working at Nordstrom

very little pay

Nordstrom benefits

an hour lunch, employee discount, good health insurance.

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2020

Pros of working at Nordstrom

The management seems to really care about the advancement of their team. The higher ups also seemed to be very passionate and committed to their roles.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

demanding sales goals

Nordstrom benefits

Great coworkers

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3.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2020

Pros of working at Nordstrom

helping customers in whatever way they needed.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

the culture was not friendly, working on commission and competing with my co-workers for sales

Nordstrom benefits

store discounts

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2020

Pros of working at Nordstrom

People, Involvement, name

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Hours and working on holidays

Nordstrom benefits

401K Match, time off, and health benefits

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3.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Being in the mist of the newest fashion trends

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Favoritism, politics and rude managers

Nordstrom benefits

The handsome men that I helped wardrobe : )

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Clearly defined cultural values. “Nordstrom Nice” is a thing, and I felt safe being my authentic self there.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

The company could probably benefit from more cultural sensitivity training, especially in its managers. I’ve had leaders and coworkers make some questionable comments to me that alienated me.

Nordstrom benefits

Employee discount and NPG sales

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros of working at Nordstrom

The company always had a family like culture. I always felt like I was at home whenever I was in a Nordstrom store.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

I was unable to have a work/life balance since I worked most nights/holidays/weekends.

Nordstrom benefits

Merchandise discount

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros of working at Nordstrom

people I worked with

Cons of working at Nordstrom

politics and slow decision making

Nordstrom benefits

insurance and retirement plan

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros of working at Nordstrom

autonomy, previous leadership and values

Cons of working at Nordstrom

current course/path of company

Nordstrom benefits

people, emp disc

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Managment is great, great pay, amazing co-workers

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Long, retail hours/ working weekends

Nordstrom benefits

Gratis

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros of working at Nordstrom

They really teach you about the power of great customer service.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

The hours of retail are not always ideal.

Nordstrom benefits

Healthcare.

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Lots of opportunity to grow with the company

Cons of working at Nordstrom

work-life-balance is not always the best. Miss out on a lot of holidays.

Nordstrom benefits

retail discount

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Commission sales and writing my own paycheck

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Was not getting as many hours as I would have liked.

Nordstrom benefits

Commission/great opportunity to network

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Professional, values focused. Great work life balance.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

People promoted into roles unrelated to their experience - great for individual learning. Tough for teams, and tough to specialize. Also very silo-ed organization and it's difficult to get teams to work together.

Nordstrom benefits

Full Time Corporate get 33% off merch

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros of working at Nordstrom

The easy step process of doing your job with efficiency.!

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Payroll & Hours. No stable schedule

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2.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Schedule

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Everything else, culture, management,

Nordstrom benefits

Benefits, medical and dental, vision, 401k, and saving account

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019

Pros of working at Nordstrom

management

Cons of working at Nordstrom

the pay

Nordstrom benefits

discounts on clothes, long term friends I've met, it was a good experience overall but I had to really jump start my own career

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019

Pros of working at Nordstrom

The people are great at Nordstrom, flexible scheduling

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Pay Isn’t up to expectations

Nordstrom benefits

Health benefits

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5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019

Pros of working at Nordstrom

I liked the positive work environment

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Not enough hours

Nordstrom benefits

Commission based salary

Is this useful?

2.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Larger company as a whole is an awesome place to work. There is no question as to the goal of the company, which is to constantly improve customer service. Also, the business of retail is very interesting and Nordstrom is on the bleeding edge of how to serve customers in a hybrid marketplace.

Cons of working at Nordstrom

The technology organization has had senior leadership turnover two times in the past five years and each time it drives out good people and part of the Nordstrom culture. There is also cronyism to the Nth degree with most new hires in positions of leadership, from mid-level managers to VPs, coming from one specific employer. This change is creating a team mentality where the right way seems to be to mimic what has been done at the older employer.

Nordstrom benefits

The merchandise discount is hard to beat.

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2.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019

Pros of working at Nordstrom

The people

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Treated as a child, not an adult. Little room for growth. Online shopping is killing the commissioned only employee

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4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Work/life balance, supportive environment, benefits, open communication about changes to the company

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Very little pay, goals and requirements difficult to attain depending on what store you're in

Nordstrom benefits

Generous time off

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3.0

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros of working at Nordstrom

Great Co-workers, fun environment

Cons of working at Nordstrom

Poor management, lack of communication.

Nordstrom benefits

My discount for clothing.

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Rank	City	Job count	Avg. salary
1	Los Angeles, CA	45	$38,002
2	Chicago, IL	32	$33,502
3	San Jose, CA	29	$39,382
4	San Diego, CA	24	$37,497
5	New York, NY	21	$39,057
6	Houston, TX	14	$30,890
7	Dallas, TX	13	$31,169
8	San Antonio, TX	10	$31,025
9	Phoenix, AZ	6	$32,052
10	Philadelphia, PA	3	$31,459

Rank

City

Job count

Avg. salary

$39,382

$37,497

$30,890

$31,169

$31,025

$32,052

$31,459

Nordstrom financial performance

8.9

Performance score

We calculated the performance score of companies by measuring multiple factors, including revenue, longevity, and stock market performance.

Nordstrom currently has 15.5B in revenue. Nordstrom's most recent quarter produced 3.8b (q2'2023).

Nordstrom annual revenue

$16B

$13B

$10B

$6B

$3B

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Highest paying Nordstrom competitors

Compare Nordstrom salaries to competitors, including Anthropologie, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Staples. Employees at Anthropologie earn the highest average yearly salary of $38,769. The salaries at Saks Fifth Avenue average $37,866 per year, and the salaries at Staples come in at $37,239 per year.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Jobs
1		$38,769	0
2		$37,866	0
3		$37,239	0
4		$36,548	0
5		$35,705	0
6		$35,229	0
7		$34,645	0
8		$33,466	0
9		$33,095	0
10		$31,965	0

Working at Nordstrom

Nordstrom overview

Nordstrom's mission statement

On this page

Nordstrom employee reviews

The team at Nordstrom

Nordstrom rankings

Nordstrom salaries

Nordstrom diversity

Nordstrom office locations

Biggest Nordstrom locations

Videos about working at Nordstrom

Nordstrom financial performance

Nordstrom annual revenue

Highest paying Nordstrom competitors

Are you an executive, HR leader, or brand manager at Nordstrom?

Nordstrom FAQs

When was Nordstrom founded?

How many employees does Nordstrom have?

How much money does Nordstrom make?

What industry is Nordstrom in?

What is Nordstrom's mission?

What type of company is Nordstrom?

Who are Nordstrom's competitors?

Who works at Nordstrom?

Does Nordstrom drug test?

Does Nordstrom hire felons?

How do you answer, "Why are you interested in working for Nordstrom"?

How do you write a cover letter for a job at Nordstrom?

How old do you have to be to work at Nordstrom?

What benefits does Nordstrom offer?

What is the dress code at Nordstrom?

What is the hiring process at Nordstrom?

Who owns Nordstrom?

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