Starting September 27, Amazon will raise the starting wage for full-time employees in its core operations roles in the United States to $20 per hour. This $1 increase applies to employees who perform tasks such as picking, packing, and sorting customer orders, many of which do not require prior experience.
Wage Increase and New Discounts
This move aims to raise the average hourly wage for Amazon's core operations employees in the United States to nearly $24 per hour. The wage increase comes as the holiday shopping season approaches, a time when the company typically hires more employees to meet high demand. Amazon has stated that the starting minimum wage has increased by over 17% in the past three years.
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Audith Madan, Senior Vice President of Global Operations at Amazon, said in a blog post, "We also have an annual increase program that raises wages during the first three years of an employee's tenure with us, providing a clear path for wage growth." Starting October 1, all Amazon employees in the United States will also be eligible for new discounts on grocery and everyday essentials purchases.
New Financial Benefits
Employees will receive an unlimited 10% discount on fresh groceries and everyday essentials purchased through Amazon and the Whole Foods online marketplace. Additionally, a 20% discount will be available for purchases made at physical Whole Foods Market stores, including hot bars and salad bars. These discounts can be combined with existing discounts for Prime members.
Today's announcement also introduced a new financial benefit called "Day 1 Financial," offered through the First Tech Federal Credit Union. This program provides eligible employees and their families access to banking services that they can keep for life, even after leaving Amazon.
These benefits are based on Amazon's current offerings for employees, including free Prime membership, healthcare services for $5 a week, pre-paid educational programs, and paid parental leave. The recent wage increase follows a similar investment announced in September 2025, at which time it was stated that the average wage for employees in supply and transportation would exceed $23 per hour.
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Source: independent.co.uk
