Amazon is increasing minimum starting pay for full-time U.S. core operations employees to $20 an hour.
Beginning Oct. 1, all U.S. Amazon employees will receive discounts of 10% to 20% on eligible groceries and everyday essentials.
A new credit union benefit will offer qualified employees and their families access to fee-free banking services they can keep for life.
Amazon employs thousands of people in the U.S., and many of them are getting a raise.
Amazon said it is raising wages for its U.S. operations employees and introducing new grocery and banking benefits designed to help workers stretch their paychecks.
The company said it is investing more than $1.5 billion in higher wages for U.S. core operations employees, including workers at fulfillment centers, sorting facilities, and delivery stations.
Eligible employees will receive a $1-an-hour raise, bringing Amazon’s minimum starting wage for full-time core operations jobs to $20 an hour nationwide. The company said average hourly pay for these workers will reach nearly $24.
At $20 an hour, a full-time employee working 40 hours a week would earn about $41,600 annually before taxes and overtime. An employee earning Amazon’s average of nearly $24 an hour would make roughly $49,900 a year.
Amazon said average total compensation exceeds $32 an hour when the estimated value of employee benefits is included. The company also has a step-pay program that raises employees’ wages during their first three years.
New grocery discounts
Beginning Oct. 1, 2026, every Amazon employee in the United States will be eligible for discounts on certain groceries and everyday household products.
Employees will receive an uncapped 10% discount on eligible purchases made through Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market online. They will also receive 20% off in-store purchases at Whole Foods Market, including items from its hot and salad bars.
The discounts must be used through the employee’s Amazon account and can also be combined with existing Prime member discounts.
Unlike employee discounts that place an annual limit on savings, Amazon said the grocery benefit will not have a cap. That could make it particularly valuable to families that regularly shop at Whole Foods or order groceries through Amazon.
Banking benefit begins later this year
Amazon is also introducing Day 1 Financial, a banking benefit offered through First Tech Federal Credit Union.
Qualified employees, their spouses, and their children will be able to become credit union members and retain that membership for life, including after the employee leaves Amazon.
Standard checking and savings accounts will have no overdraft fees, monthly maintenance fees, or minimum-balance requirements. Employees will not need a credit history to open an account.
Other features will include access to thousands of surcharge-free ATMs and reimbursement of as much as $300 a year in out-of-network ATM fees. Members may also have access to credit-building programs, direct deposit, and competitive credit cards, auto loans, and mortgages, subject to qualification.
The benefit will begin rolling out in late 2026 and is expected to become broadly available in 2027. First Tech is a member-owned financial institution whose deposits are federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration.