Amazon investing $1B to raise pay for U.S. fulfillment, transportation staff

In a company blog post, Udit Madan, Senior Vice President, Amazon Worldwide Operations said, “Fall is an exciting time across Amazon-it’s the leadup to some of our busiest shopping events, like Prime Big Deal Days and the holiday shopping season, and there’s a bit of extra energy across our network…It’s also a time when we review our pay and benefits, and I get to share an update with our teammates about how we’re continuing to invest in their experience and growth. This year, I’m excited to share that, here in the U.S., we’re raising pay again across our network, lowering the cost of health care for those on our entry-level plan, and raising the annual progression increases for people who choose to build their careers with us. It’s all part of a more than $1B commitment to our teams…We’ve been investing in pay for several years, and someone who has been with us for three years has already seen their pay go up an average of 35%. This year, average pay is increasing to more than $23 per hour, and average total compensation is increasing to more than $30 an hour when you include the value of our industry-leading benefits package. Some of our most tenured employees will see an increase between $1.10 and $1.90 per hour, and full-time employees will, on average, see their pay increase by $1,600 per year. We also have an annual step plan where pay increases each year someone is with us, and as part of these changes we’re adjusting that plan so the increases are bigger each year than they’ve been in the past…This year, based on feedback from our teams, I’m happy to share that we’re making a substantial change in our entry-level health care plan and lowering the cost to only pay $5 per week and $5 for copays, starting in 2026. That will reduce weekly contributions by 34% and copays by 87% for primary care, mental health, and most non-specialist visits for employees using the basic plan.”