America sure loves its beer. It produces almost 200 million barrels of beer every year. There’s an enormous amount of beer being sold and consumed. And this also means there’s an enormous amount of beer that needs to be regulated and monitored.
And with the large volume of beer being stocked comes a large demand for alcohol compliance auditors. These are the people who verify whether stores follow alcohol regulations or not. It’s a pretty sweet job that can pay pretty well. The monthly pay for being an alcohol compliance auditors can reach $4,000.
Be surrounded by beer, get paid well… what’s not to like? But the job isn’t about knocking back six packs during your shift; you still need to consider the job’s responsibilities.
What Does an Alcohol Compliance Auditor Do?
As an alcohol compliance auditor, it will be your job to do age verification compliance audits at supermarkets, liquor shops, convenience stores, or anywhere else beer is sold.
“Age verification compliance” is just a fancy term for going undercover, buying beer from shops and noting whether the cashier checks your ID, as required by law.
This isn’t a government job. Stores hire auditors to check up on their store personnel, either directly or through so-called “mystery shopper” agencies. Mystery shopper companies specialize in deploying people to anonymously check a store’s operations for quality control or other purposes.
As for stores selling beer, they rightfully assume that it’s better for a negligent employee to be caught by a hired auditor, than by the police. With the latter scenario, the store can correct the problem internally.
The Auditing Process
Your agency will provide a list of stores for you to check. you go to the store and try to purchase beer. Just act natural, you’re just a normal customer buying beer.
At the checkout counter, note whether the cashier asks for your ID. They are required to do so. You will also have to note whether the cashier inputs your birthdate to their database. Most cashiers won’t forget to do these two things, but you’ll have to take note of the negligible ones.
Some companies will ask you to take extra steps to throw off the cashier. This is actually pretty fun. You can try telling the cashier that you forgot your ID at home, or that it got lost. Basically, try to make excuses for not having an ID and see whether the cashier believes you. Under law, they are supposed to be strict and card you before punching in your purchase. No excuses.
The Audit
Once you’re done sleuthing around, you’ll write and send a report to the company that hired you. The report will contain your observations, and whether the cashier carded you.
The retailer will base their employee evaluations based partly on your report, so be fair and accurate.
Pay Rates
You’ll get paid per assignment, which you can assign to yourself. This means you can set your own schedule, and take on as many or as little assignments as you like. Most companies have a website where you can pick and track assignments.
Actual pay depends on the company. I’ve read people get paid anywhere from $5 to $50 for each assignment. But based on my own experience, that amount ranges from $10 to $20 per task. And you’ll be reimbursed for the beer, of course!
Each assignment usually takes me 20 minutes, which includes time spent driving from one store to another. (If you can, avoid doing assignments on or during rush hour) Doing an average of three assignments, I made $60 per hour. That’s $600 for a ten-hour day. Keep up that pace for six or seven days, and you can definitely hit $4,000!
Job Requirements
I’ll say it upfront: this is one of those jobs that doesn’t require any specific qualifications or experience.
As long as you’re 21 to 30 years old, pass the application process, and capable of writing reports, you’re good to go!
Where to Find Work
There are tons of audit/mystery shopping companies out there. But the two companies listed below were the ones I used, and are pretty solid:
Confero
Sinclair Customer Metrics
You can also try this following site:
CareersinAudit.com
That last one is like a bulletin board for job openings within the industry.
A Few Reminders
Think this is the job for you? Awesome! Just keep in mind the following:
Beware of companies that will ask for an upfront fee. These are scam agencies and best avoided.
If you can, pick stores that are close to one another. That way, you don’t waste time in traffic, when you can be earning.
Prepare your social security number. Most companies require this, so have it ready in case they do.
The Verdict
Working as alcohol compliance auditor is a legit way to earn up to $4,000 a month! You’ll have to put in the time, and plan your assignments well. But if you, this is a fun and lucrative job.
Your Turn
This is my experience working as an alcohol compliance auditor. Now it’s your turn to share. Have you given this job a try? Got any tips on how to maximize your earnings?
Let’s hear your stories!
