Amazon Boosts Minimum Pay for U.S. Full-Time Core Operations Staff to $20/Hour — Update
By Kelly Cloonan
Amazon.com is raising the minimum starting wage for its U.S. full-time core operations employees to $20 an hour, a move that comes ahead of its major holiday hiring push.
The $1-per-hour increase applies to the e-commerce company's front-line workers, who handle tasks like sorting, packing and transporting orders. Amazon announced the move on Wednesday alongside new benefits like discounts on groceries through its online platforms and Whole Foods Market locations.
The pay increase and additional benefits come as Amazon is nearing the peak holiday shopping season, when the company embarks on a hiring spree to handle the surge in online orders that are about to pour through its network. Last year, Amazon planned to hire 250,000 full-time, part-time and seasonal workers in advance of the holidays.
Amazon said average pay for its U.S. core operations employees now reaches nearly $24 an hour, with average total compensation of more than $32 an hour when including the value of its benefits package. The company said its minimum starting pay has increased more than 17% in the past three years.
The company also said it would give all of its U.S. employees a new discount on groceries. Starting Oct. 1, workers will get 10% off on eligible groceries and other essentials on Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market online, as well as 20% off in-store at Whole Foods, the company said.
Amazon also said it is rolling out access to a new banking benefit, offering employees and their families a membership in First Tech Federal Credit Union that provides low-cost banking services they can keep for life.
Amazon said the offering--which includes $0 overdraft fees and no account minimums on standard checking and savings accounts, plus access to credit cards and loans--aims to help employees manage their money and plan for the future.
Access will begin rolling out in late 2026 and become broadly available in 2027, the company said.
Write to Kelly Cloonan at kelly.cloonan@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 16, 2026 10:24 ET (14:24 GMT)
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