Amazon raises minimum wage by $1

Thinking of working for Amazon but not sure how much the job pays? Wages will obviously vary per the position, but one thing is for sure: You will make no less than $20 per hour.

On Wednesday, Amazon announced that it was raising the minimum wage for full-time operations workers in the U.S. by $1.

The move raises their lowest hourly wage from $19 to $20.

According to Amazon, average total compensation for these workers is now more than $32 per hour when its benefits package is included.

The company provides healthcare coverage starting at $5 per week, as well as perks such as a free Amazon Prime membership and prepaid education programs.

Amazon also announced a new benefit that gives qualified employees and their families access to low-cost financial services through First Tech Federal Credit Union.

The benefit is called "Day 1 Financial." As Reuters points out , Amazon’s hourly wages now match Costco’s, after Costco raised its entry-level hourly pay to $20 last year.

Amazon’s minimum wage is also higher than Walmart’s and Target’s, which start workers at $14 and $15 per hour, respectively.

Amazon raising wages for its workers is certainly a good thing.

However, this pay raise strictly applies only to those directly employed by Amazon, a company that outsources a number of crucial positions to subcontractors.

For example, Amazon is currently fighting a New York City bill called the "Delivery Protection Act ".

The bill would force Amazon to directly hire its last-mile delivery and warehouse workers, jobs usually filled by third-party subcontractors.

According to Amazon, the company’s annual revenue rose 12 percent, from $638 billion in 2024 to $716.9 billion in 2025.