Amazon Offers Signing Bonus, Pay Hikes To Attract 75,000 New Workers

Looking to hire 75,000 new employees in fulfillment and transportation, Amazon is offering $1,000 signing bonuses and hourly wages averaging $17 per hour. If a new hire shows proof of being vaccinated for COVID-19, Amazon will throw in another $100.

Amazon Vice President of Global Customer Fulfillment Alicia Boler Davis said in a Thursday (May 13) press release that new hires will get “great pay and robust benefits” from their first day on the job.

“Working at Amazon also comes with an unwavering commitment to safety, especially as we continue to navigate a global pandemic,” she added.

Aside from better pay rates for new hires, Amazon also is boosting wages across its entire fulfillment and transportation networks. Full-time employees get a comprehensive health benefits package and a 50 percent match for 401(k) contributions. Paid parental leave is also available as well as company-funded upskill training and tuition reimbursement for fields that are currently in high demand.

The majority of the 75,000 new roles are in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin, according to the release.

Amazon currently has vaccination sites for its employees — and sometimes their families — at 250 locations in the U.S. and Canada. The eCommerce giant also has free COVID-19 testing for frontline workers on the premises at 800 locations worldwide.

Amazon announced on Wednesday (May 12) that it was also hiring 1,900 technical and non-technical workers for its HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia. The new facility has 2.8 million square feet of office space with three, 22- story towers.

Logistic issues that were initially wrought by the pandemic are being addressed by Amazon in myriad ways. The Seattle-headquartered behemoth has been working on building out its transportation matrix with entrepreneur drivers, planes, and drones. It also started buying up empty shopping malls with the intention of turning the buildings into fulfillment centers.