Amazon is raising the minimum starting pay for its U.S. core operations workers to $20 per hour and lifting average hourly pay to nearly $24. The company said the change amounts to an additional $1 per hour for eligible employees, including delivery drivers and fulfillment center staff.
Amazon Senior Vice President Udit Madan said in a blog post that average total compensation exceeds $32 per hour when benefits are included. Amazon said the wage increase will cost more than $1.5 billion.
The company is also adding new employee benefits, including access to a low-cost banking system called Day 1 Financial and membership in First Tech Federal Credit Union.
Amazon said workers will receive a 20% discount on in-store purchases at Whole Foods Market and a 10% discount on groceries ordered online through Amazon.
Amazon already offers free Prime memberships, prepaid education programs and healthcare coverage.
Reaction on a subreddit for Amazon fulfillment center employees was mixed. One worker wrote of the Whole Foods discount, “So it would make it cost almost the same as a regular store, then? Hahaha.”
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