• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
FinanceAmazon

Amazon warehouse workers are finally getting free $140 Prime memberships, but corporate colleagues aren’t

Rachel Ventresca
By
Rachel Ventresca
Rachel Ventresca
Director, Audience and Social Growth
Down Arrow Button Icon
Rachel Ventresca
By
Rachel Ventresca
Rachel Ventresca
Director, Audience and Social Growth
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 20, 2024, 4:08 AM ET
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wants workers back in the office five days a week.David Ryder—Bloomberg via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Amazon is delivering a new perk to its warehouse workers—one that’s been a long time coming.

Recommended Video

The e-commerce giant on Wednesday announced that, in addition to increasing front-line workers’ pay by at least $1.50 an hour, the company will also now offer its Prime membership as a perk starting next year. 

Launched in 2005 for $79 a year, Amazon Prime has steadily increased its initial offering of free two-day shipping to include streaming and digital benefits, grocery savings, medical care and prescription benefits, and more. Now boasting a user base of over 180 million U.S. shoppers as of March, Amazon Prime’s price has also ballooned to $14.99 per month, or $139 per year.

“Our front-line team members across our operations are a big part in bringing the magic of Prime to customers, and starting early next year, Prime will become part of their benefits package,” Amazon vice president of worldwide operations Udit Madan wrote in a blog post announcing the new benefits. 

The free Prime membership, however, is exclusive to front-line workers, the company told Fortune. Corporate employees will still need to shell out the full amount to buy their own subscriptions. However, all employees, both logistics and corporate, will continue to receive 10% off Amazon merchandise, up to a maximum discount of $100 per year.

Even with the new boost to an average base wage of more than $22 an hour, Amazon warehouse workers’ pay is still far lower than that of their white-collar colleagues. According to ZipRecruiter, the average Amazon corporate employee brings home $133,000 per year, or about $64 an hour. 

As the No. 2 company on the Fortune 500, Amazon employs more than 1.5 million people and said the new wage increase represents a total investment of more than $2.2 billion in its workforce. When including elected benefits, the new raises bring the average total compensation to $29 an hour, or around $55,000 for a 40-hour workweek. 

The wage hike and work perks come as Amazon prepares for the busy holiday season and an upcoming Prime Day-like sale on Oct. 8-9. The fall sale is the third savings bonanza of its kind this year, with previous events occurring in spring and summer. During July’s Prime Day event, customers spent a record $14.2 billion, an 11% increase from last year, according to sales tracking data from Adobe Analytics.

Amazon also made waves this week after CEO Andy Jassy announced plans to order employees back to the office five days per week. Previously, office workers were required to tap into their buildings at least three days per week, depending on their team requirements. The new full-time requirement, however, will make exceptions for extenuating circumstances or for employees whose managers had already approved a fully remote position.

“When we look back over the last five years, we continue to believe that the advantages of being together in the office are significant,” Jassy wrote in a memo to staff, saying he wants to operate like “the world’s largest startup.”

Jassy is also planning to reduce layers of management, which have become bloated in recent years due to dramatic hiring increases, according to employees who spoke with Fortune’s Jason Del Rey.   

The return-to-office plan was not met well by some employees, who slammed the new rules in the company’s internal Slack channel, according to Business Insider.

Others took to LinkedIn in pursuit of new gigs.

“If you have remote opportunities available, please message me,” an Amazon Web Services engineer wrote. “Nothing is off the table. I’d rather go back to school than work in an office again.”

@fortune

Amazon is raising the pay of its hourly warehouse workers and tacking on Prime memberships to their benefit package. #prime #amazon #amazonprime #andyjassy #business #businessnews #news #pay #payraise #compensation #fortune #money #moneytok #finance

♬ Para Videos de Notícias – Studio Pro Sound
About the Author
Rachel Ventresca
By Rachel VentrescaDirector, Audience and Social Growth
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Rachel Ventresca is the director of audience and social growth at Fortune.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Finance

t
AIMarkets
Billionaire Mike Bloomberg warns Trump’s AI ownership plan would make ‘George Orwell blush’
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
4 hours ago
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sits and speaks at a Senate Committee Hearing
PoliticsDonald Trump
‘Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls’: Hegseth on additional defense spending following $37.5B Iran War price tag
By The Associated Press and Lisa MascaroJuly 21, 2026
4 hours ago
A ski worker in winter skiing gear strikes a pose in front of a ski slope in Lesotho.
Travel & LeisureDonald Trump
In Lesotho, the country’s only fully operational ski resort offers snowy slopes for Africa’s ski enthusiasts
By The Associated Press and Mogomotsi MagomeJuly 21, 2026
4 hours ago
Moldova’s parliament elects 44-year-old businessman investor Vasile Tofan as prime minister
PoliticsEuropean Union
Moldova’s parliament elects 44-year-old businessman investor Vasile Tofan as prime minister
By The Associated PressJuly 21, 2026
5 hours ago
UN’s worst-case scenario: Energy and fertilizer shock from Iran war could push nearly 19 million more into chronic hunger by 2030
EconomyUnited Nations
UN’s worst-case scenario: Energy and fertilizer shock from Iran war could push nearly 19 million more into chronic hunger by 2030
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 21, 2026
5 hours ago
holland
Arts & EntertainmentMovies
‘The audience is telling the industry something’: even IMAX is stunned by Christopher Nolan’s runaway ‘Odyssey’
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 21, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
3 days ago
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
Cybersecurity
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
6 hours ago
Jamie Dimon won't put more of his own money into the long end of the bond market right now—thanks to the $39 trillion national debt
Economy
Jamie Dimon won't put more of his own money into the long end of the bond market right now—thanks to the $39 trillion national debt
By Eleanor PringleJuly 21, 2026
15 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 21, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 21, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 21, 2026
15 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.