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Amazon raising minimum wage for US workers to $15 per hour

By KIRO 7 News Staff, Cox Media Group National Content Desk and Associated Press
By KIRO 7 News Staff, Cox Media Group National Content Desk and Associated Press

Amazon is boosting its minimum wage for all U.S. workers to $15 per hour starting next month.

According to a news release, the change, effective Nov. 1, affects more than 250,000 employees and 100,000 seasonal workers. The new minimum wage includes all full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal workers nationwide.

"We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead," Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder and CEO, said in a statement. "We're excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us."

The company also plans to "begin advocating for an increase in the federal minimum wage," the news release said.

"We intend to advocate for a minimum wage increase that will have a profound impact on the lives of tens of millions of people and families across this country," Jay Carney, senior vice president of Amazon Global Corporate Affairs, said in a statement.

KIRO 7 is looking into how many Amazon workers will be affected locally. We found a number of posted job openings at local fulfillment centers that currently start below $15:

Warehouse/Shopper Team Member - Redmond

Salary: Up to $13.50

Warehouse Team Member – Renton

Salary: Up to $13.95

Warehouse Team Member – Kent

Salary: Up to $14.25

Warehouse Team Member – Sumner

Salary: Up to $14.25

Pay for workers at Amazon can vary by location. Its starting pay is $10 an hour at a warehouse in Austin, Texas, and $13.50 an hour in Robbinsville, New Jersey.

The median pay for an Amazon employee last year was $28,446, according to government filings, which includes full-time, part-time and temporary workers.

Amazon has more than 575,000 employees globally.

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