Amazon Raises Starting Pay to $20

Published: September 28, 2026 | By LocalJobPage Team

NATIONWIDE — Amazon has raised the minimum starting pay for its full-time U.S. core operations jobs to $20 an hour, a $1 increase announced September 16, 2026, just as the company heads into its busiest hiring stretch of the year.

Amazon says full-time warehouse and fulfillment roles now start at no less than $20 an hour and average nearly $24, and its 2026 holiday hiring number has not been announced yet.

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Company	Amazon
What changed	Minimum starting pay for full-time U.S. core operations employees raised to $20/hour
Announced	Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Average pay	Nearly $24/hour, per Amazon; more than $32/hour counting benefits
Roles covered	Full-time core operations roles in Amazon's U.S. fulfillment and transportation network
Markets	Nationwide; Amazon says its investments span all 50 states
How to apply	hiring.amazon.com
Holiday hiring count	Not yet announced for 2026

🔥 What Amazon Announced

In a post on its company news site, Amazon said it is putting $1.5 billion into higher pay for U.S. core operations employees. The new floor for full-time roles in that workforce is $20 an hour, up $1. Amazon puts average hourly pay at nearly $24, and average total compensation, once benefits are counted, at more than $32 an hour.

Amazon also said many of these jobs require no prior experience, and that its starting pay has risen more than 17% over the past three years. Pay also climbs on a set schedule: the company describes annual step increases during an employee's first three years.

Two benefit changes came with the raise. Starting Thursday, October 1, 2026, employees get an uncapped 10% discount on eligible groceries and everyday essentials bought online at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market, and 20% off in Whole Foods stores. Later this year Amazon plans to begin rolling out a banking benefit through First Tech Federal Credit Union, with no overdraft or monthly maintenance fees, which it expects to be broadly available in 2027.

Existing benefits Amazon reaffirmed include a day-one health plan, a 401(k) with a company match, and Career Choice, which prepays up to $5,250 a year in tuition.

💼 The Jobs This Covers, and the Ones It Doesn't

The raise is specific. Amazon's announcement names full-time core operations employees, the people who work inside its fulfillment and sort centers and its transportation network. In practice that is picking, packing, stowing, sorting, loading and shipping.

The announcement does not give separate figures for part-time or seasonal workers. If you apply for a part-time or holiday role, read the pay posted on that listing rather than assuming the $20 floor carries over.

Amazon's hiring site also lists customer service, retail, Amazon Air and delivery work. Driving listings work differently: Amazon Flex drivers are independent contractors, by Amazon's own description, and Delivery Service Partner driver jobs are with separate partner companies. Check who the employer is on any driving listing before comparing pay.

💵 What It Pays Compared With the Rest of the Field

For context, the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median pay for hand laborers and material movers, the occupation group that covers most warehouse work, at $18.38 an hour, or $38,220 a year, as of May 2025. A median is the midpoint: half of the people in the field earned less. Within that group, BLS lists a median of $37,330 a year for stockers and order fillers and $40,240 for laborers and freight, stock and material movers.

Those figures are not the same measurement as Amazon's. BLS reports what workers across all employers earned in May 2025; Amazon's $20 is one company's starting floor for one kind of schedule in 2026. Your actual rate depends on the building, the shift and the local wage floor, since the address where the work happens sets the legal minimum.

BLS also says these jobs typically need no formal educational credential and a month or less of on-the-job training, which matches Amazon's own description.

📅 When Holiday Hiring Starts

Amazon has not published a 2026 holiday hiring number. Last year it announced on Monday, October 13, 2025, that it was hiring 250,000 people across the U.S. for the season, with seasonal workers earning over $19 an hour on average. The same post said full-time and part-time regular employees averaged $23 an hour.

If this year follows the same pattern, the announcement is still a couple of weeks out. You do not have to wait for it. Roles are posted on hiring.amazon.com as they open, and Amazon says many can be applied for with no resume or interview.

Amazon is not the only big employer moving now. Macy's said on September 24, 2026, that it plans to hire seasonal workers across Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury, and it listed hiring days for Thursday, October 22, and Thursday, November 19. Macy's did not publish a headcount, so confirm with your local store before you go.

⚠️ Read This Before You Apply

Full-time is the headline. The $20 minimum applies to full-time core operations roles. Check the posted rate on any part-time, flex or seasonal listing.
Seasonal means seasonal. Holiday roles end after the peak. Amazon says some seasonal hires have gone on to become managers, but it has not published a conversion rate.
Apply at the source. Use hiring.amazon.com. Nobody legitimate charges you to apply or asks for bank details before an offer.
The work is physical. Expect long stretches on your feet, lifting, and overnight or weekend shifts during peak. Read the job description for the specific building.

🔎 Where to Aim Right Now

Search the job itself, not just the brand. Warehouses of every size staff up at the same time of year, and a regional distributor or 3PL may pay close to Amazon with a shorter commute.

Start here:

🗺️ Where to Look in Your City

Amazon operates in all 50 states; these network cities sit in the states its 2025 economic impact report singled out for investment, plus Louisville, where Amazon is adding a second warehouse.

Not on the list? Find your city.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Amazon's starting pay in 2026?

Amazon says the minimum starting pay for full-time U.S. core operations employees is $20 an hour, announced September 16, 2026. It puts average pay in those roles at nearly $24 an hour.

Does the $20 minimum apply to part-time and seasonal workers?

Amazon's announcement covers full-time core operations employees and does not give separate part-time or seasonal figures. Check the pay listed on the specific posting.

Is Amazon hiring for the 2026 holidays?

Amazon has not announced a 2026 holiday hiring number yet. In 2025 it announced 250,000 U.S. seasonal hires on October 13. Seasonal roles are posted on hiring.amazon.com as they open.

Do I need experience or a degree to work in an Amazon warehouse?

Amazon says many of its operations roles require no prior experience. BLS says hand laborers and material movers typically need no formal educational credential and learn on the job in a month or less.

When does the new grocery discount start?

Amazon says it starts October 1, 2026: 10% off eligible groceries and essentials online at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market, and 20% off in Whole Foods stores.

Get Your Warehouse Search Moving

Create your LocalJobPage account and start applying to warehouse and fulfillment openings near you, or browse all jobs.

Employers: Competing with a $20 floor for the same workers? Post your openings on LocalJobPage and put your pay in the listing.

Amazon Raises Starting Pay to $20 an Hour: What Warehouse Job Seekers Should Know