Overview
- Amazon announced on Wednesday, September 16 that it will raise the minimum starting pay for full-time U.S. core operations workers by $1 to $20 an hour, with the increase taking effect September 27.
- The company says average hourly pay for those roles will reach nearly $24 and that average total compensation, including benefits, tops $32 per hour under the new plan.
- Employees in the U.S. will get uncapped grocery discounts starting October 1 — 10% off eligible items online and 20% off in-store at Whole Foods — and gain access to Day 1 Financial, a First Tech Federal Credit Union membership that begins rolling out late 2026 and will be widely available in 2027.
- Amazon also announced a $1 hourly increase in Canada to C$26.27 effective September 27 and separate UK frontline increases ranging about 5.2%–5.6%, while reports detail plans to expand same-day delivery from roughly 85 sites to over 1,000 by 2031.
- The pay and benefits package is presented as a worker-focused cost-of-living move ahead of the holidays but comes alongside active union campaigns and regulatory scrutiny, which could shape bargaining, staffing and safety negotiations going forward.