Sam Blatt, Economic Manager for Florida and the Carolinas at Amazon, said that the company continues to "raise the bar" on a fair minimum wage for its workers. This comment was made in an October 2024 post on LinkedIn.
"Amazon continues to raise the bar on what should be considered a minimum wage," said Blatt, Economic Development Manager for Carolinas, according to LinkedIn. "As one of the largest private sector employers in the US, this is a more than $2 billion investment in our people."
According to a news release, Amazon has increased the average total compensation package for its fulfillment and transportation employees in the U.S. to over $29 per hour as part of its largest-ever investment in pay and benefits. The company is allocating more than $2.2 billion toward wage increases, boosting the average base wage for hourly front-line employees to over $22 per hour. This increase amounts to an additional $1.50 per hour, translating to roughly $3,000 more per year for full-time employees working 40-hour weeks.
Beyond pay raises, Amazon is expanding its benefits package. Employees will now have access to language classes through the Career Choice program from their first day on the job, eliminating the previous 90-day waiting period. Eligible front-line workers will receive a free Prime membership as part of their benefits. These additions complement Amazon’s existing benefits, which include health care from day one, dental coverage, a 401(k) program with company matching, flexible scheduling, and pre-paid college tuition.
According to Amazon's Economic Impact Report, since 2019, Amazon has invested over $12 billion in North Carolina, boosting the state’s GDP by $13.1 billion and creating 24,000 direct jobs alongside 26,400 indirect positions as of January 2024. The company’s footprint includes 13 fulfillment centers, 14 delivery stations, 16 Whole Foods Markets, two Prime Now facilities, and renewable energy projects like a wind and solar farm. Additionally, Amazon supports over 11,000 independent sellers in the state—many small and medium-sized businesses—and has brought major productions like "The Summer I Turned Pretty" to North Carolina.
Amazon is expanding its operations in North Carolina with five new facilities including last-mile delivery sites in Tarboro, Jacksonville, Mount Airy, and Southern Pines as well as a Same-Day Delivery facility in Kannapolis. According to Business Facilities magazine these investments aim to improve delivery speeds boost local economies and create jobs adding to more than 24 thousand positions and twelve billion dollars Amazon has already contributed to the state since twenty ten Kannapolis will benefit from a state-of-the-art Same-Day Delivery facility located near its existing fulfillment center "We are confident Amazon will thrive in Tarboro," said Bob Pike President and CEO of the Carolinas Gateway Partnership.