How do you know how successful you could be if you've never had a similar role before? There is not a lot of creative thinking going on in retail management. It's very numbers driven, and the formula for what you do day-to-day to achieve those numbers is very well established, plus you'd have coaching from someone who is/has been in the same role before.
There are certainly other positions you could seek out at any retail location. Grocery stores have multiple departments within them so there are typically at least a few openings that you could apply for. If you're not comfortable going into management, consider overnight stocking. The pay is slightly better because it's overnight, there is no customer service aspect to worry about, and you're part of a team that's responsible for getting everything done. So while you may need to learn to pick up the pace a bit, there will typically be other people working with you who can help make sure everything gets done. And usually these teams have a supervisor or team lead position, so that's something you could be aspiring for.
I think the big thing for you to consider is what you want your next job to do for you. Do you want it to be a career starter? Do you just want to make some money to establish yourself? Would you like to use it as a springboard for moving? You may have some legitimate concerns about your ability to do the work, but if you want to change your life you're going to have to put a lot of effort into this no matter what you end up doing. Some thoughts:
- If you want to potentially move to a friendlier state, only consider companies that have a national presence. Grocery stores can sometimes fall into this category, though many of them are limited to certain regions. Look into that before applying if being able to move around appeals to you. And if you get an interview, ask about opportunities to move and internal transfers.
- If you want to move up at the same company, make sure you ask about internal promotions and outside hiring. When a management position opens, are current employees notified? Can managers apply for positions on behalf of employees they supervise?
- Utilize Glassdoor to compare hourly pay and salaries. Read current employee reviews, ideally for the same position and location you're applying for. Especially pay attention to the reviews for your intended location. It might be easy to get hired there because management sucks and is churning through employees.
I can't tell you what different retail positions are paying now, or what they might pay in your area. I live in a major metro area. In 2011 I worked as a part-time cashier for a specialty retailer for $10.25/hour. After six months I got a raise to $12/hour and was bumped up to full time. At the time I had a Bachelor's degree and 5 years of customer service experience. I know the other person that got hired for the same role at the same time as me started at $9/hour with no degree and 2 years of customer service experience.
As far as HRT goes, Planned Parenthood will likely survive, though some locations may close or reduce hours. Sliding scale clinics have existed in many places for decades now, so I think those are here to stay. I don't anticipate any change to what I pay for treatment or medication. If you are worried about it, consider looking into Best Buy, Target, Starbucks, etc. There are a lot of national companies with entry level positions that offer part time associates trans inclusive benefits.