Work at Coca-Cola

Most candidates apply to Coca-Cola thinking they’re applying to one company. They’re not. The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) sells syrup and runs the brand from Atlanta, but more than 70 independent bottlers across the US handle production, warehousing, and delivery. Almost every operational and hourly Coca-Cola job offer comes from a bottler, not from TCCC. Below you’ll see the latest openings, plus what each role pays, who the biggest US bottlers are, and how to land an offer fast.

The Coca-Cola Company or a Coca-Cola Bottler? Big difference

The distinction matters because the pay, benefits, and even the application portal change depending on which one you join:

The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC)	Coca-Cola Bottlers
Brand owner. Atlanta HQ plus a few regional offices. Mostly office and commercial roles. Apply on coca-colacompany.com/careers.	Production plants, warehouses, route trucks, merchandiser teams. Most hourly hiring happens here. Each bottler has its own careers site and pay scale.

What operational Coca-Cola jobs actually pay

Hourly pay at Coca-Cola bottlers is usually higher than at restaurants or general retail. Realistic US ranges for the most common roles:

Role	Typical pay	What it involves
Merchandiser	$16 to $21 per hour	Stock shelves and build displays at retail stores
Warehouse associate	$18 to $23 per hour	Pick, pack, and stage orders for delivery routes
Forklift operator	$19 to $25 per hour	Move pallets in the warehouse and load delivery trucks
Production operator (plant)	$20 to $27 per hour	Run bottling and canning lines, often rotating shifts
Fountain service technician	$22 to $28 per hour	Service soda fountain machines at restaurants
Delivery driver (CDL Class A)	$65K to $90K per year	Bulk delivery to stores. Local routes, home daily
Route Sales Representative	$50K to $75K (base + commission)	Stock, sell, and rotate product at assigned retail accounts
Account Manager (B2B sales)	$55K to $80K + commission	Manage relationships with restaurants and large retailers

Discover High-Demand Jobs at PepsiCo

The biggest US bottlers and where they hire

If you live near one of these bottler footprints, your odds of getting hired fast jump a lot:

Coca-Cola Consolidated
Largest US bottler. HQ in Charlotte, NC. Covers most of the Southeast and Midwest.

Coca-Cola UNITED
Birmingham, AL. Operations across AL, GA, FL, MS, LA, TN.

Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling
Strong in CA, IL, NV, WA. Part of Reyes Holdings.

Swire Coca-Cola
Western US: UT, ID, OR, WA, CO, AZ.

Liberty Coca-Cola
NY, NJ, PA, DE. Major urban routes in the Northeast.

Great Lakes Coca-Cola
IL, IN, WI. Solid plant and warehouse hiring.

💡 Free CDL training: Several Coca-Cola bottlers (especially Consolidated and UNITED) sponsor paid CDL training for warehouse or merchandiser employees who want to move into delivery driver roles. The catch is usually a 12-month commitment. If you can drive a manual transmission and you’re open to early shifts, this is the fastest jump from $18 to $30+ per hour in the company.

The Merchandiser-to-Route-Sales path

The classic operational ladder at any Coca-Cola bottler. Show up consistently and the moves are realistic:

Merchandiser ($16 to $21 per hour)

starting role

Account Developer or warehouse lead ($19 to $25 per hour)

6 to 12 months

Route Sales Representative ($50K to $75K total)

1 to 2 years

Sales supervisor or district manager ($65K to $95K)

3 to 5 years

Application timelines at most bottlers are short. Warehouse, merchandiser, and forklift roles usually move from application to offer in 7 to 14 days. Driver and route sales positions add a couple of weeks for background check and driving record review. Apply during spring or early summer (the peak beverage season) to find the biggest volume of openings.

Live Coca-Cola openings near you, with pay and shift by role, are on the next page.

Find the bottler that covers your area and apply to two or three roles that match where you are right now.

See Job Openings at Coca-Cola