Amazon hiring: 300,000 US holiday jobs at about $20 an hour
Representative image: promil69 / Pixabay
Amazon said on October 20, 2026 it will hire over 300,000 US workers for the holidays, up from 250,000, with seasonal pay averaging $20 an hour and new health cover.
What Happened
Amazon said on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 that it plans to hire more than 300,000 people across its US operations network for the holiday shopping season, up from the 250,000 holiday roles it announced in each of the previous three years. The jobs are seasonal, part-time and full-time roles in fulfilment centres, delivery stations and other sites. The company said seasonal workers will earn an average of about $20 an hour, and that seasonal staff working at least 30 hours a week will be able to get health cover from January 1, 2027.
Key Facts
- More than 300,000 US holiday roles, against 250,000 announced in each of the past three years, an increase of at least 20%.
- Seasonal workers earn an average of about $20 an hour, according to Amazon.
- Full-time operations staff start at a minimum of $20 an hour, with average pay of nearly $24 an hour; Amazon says total pay including benefits averages more than $32 an hour.
- Amazon links the pay levels to more than $1.5 billion in higher wages it had already committed to its US operations workers.
- From January 1, 2027, seasonal staff working at least 30 hours a week can join health plans starting at $5 a week with $5 co-payments.
- Seasonal staff hired before January 1 become eligible on that date; those hired on or after it are covered from the first day.
- New openings are posted weekly from October through December on Amazon's local jobs website.
Why It Matters
The holiday season, which in the US runs from late November through December, is the busiest period of the year for online retail. Companies hire large numbers of temporary workers to pick, pack, sort and deliver orders. Amazon's annual hiring figure is watched closely because the company is the largest online retailer in the US, and its plans are read as a signal of how much shopping retailers expect.
Raising the target to more than 300,000 suggests Amazon expects heavier demand this year or needs more hands to deliver faster. The company has spent years building delivery stations closer to customers, and each of these needs staff during the peak. The new health-cover rule for seasonal workers is also a change: in the past, temporary holiday staff often had no access to company health plans. The rule has a limit, though. A worker hired in November who leaves before the end of December will never reach January 1, so the new cover does not help those who only work through the peak.
For the wider jobs market, these roles show how the digital economy creates work beyond software. Behind every online order are warehouse, logistics and delivery jobs, and large employers increasingly use technology, such as scheduling apps and robots in warehouses, alongside human workers. Seasonal jobs like these are often a way into permanent roles, although Amazon's figure is a hiring target, not a promise of permanent jobs.
For Indian readers, the announcement covers the US only. Amazon did not give a hiring figure for India in this announcement. Indian online retailers also hire temporary staff for the Diwali festive season, but those plans are announced separately by each company.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Roles | More than 300,000 seasonal, part-time and full-time US jobs |
| Previous three years | 250,000 holiday roles each year |
| Seasonal pay | About $20 an hour on average |
| Full-time starting pay | At least $20 an hour, average nearly $24 |
| Health cover for seasonal staff | From January 1, 2027, at 30-plus hours a week |
Impact
Short-term: Hundreds of thousands of US job seekers can apply for holiday roles posted weekly through December. Other retailers and delivery firms competing for the same workers may need to raise pay or benefits.
Long-term: Offering health cover to seasonal staff could set a new expectation for temporary work in large retail, and the growing scale of holiday hiring shows how much physical labour online shopping still needs, even as warehouses add automation.
Who is affected: US job seekers looking for seasonal work, Amazon's existing operations staff, rival retailers and delivery companies, and shoppers who depend on fast delivery in the holiday season.
Key Takeaway
Amazon plans to hire more than 300,000 US holiday workers in 2026, at least 20% more than in each of the last three years, with average seasonal pay of about $20 an hour and health cover from January 2027.
Questions and Answers
How many people is Amazon hiring for the 2026 holidays?
Amazon said on October 20, 2026 that it plans to hire more than 300,000 people across its US operations for the holiday season, up from the 250,000 holiday roles it announced in each of the three previous years.
How much do Amazon's seasonal holiday jobs pay?
According to Amazon, seasonal workers earn an average of about $20 an hour. Full-time operations staff start at a minimum of $20 an hour and average nearly $24, and the company says total pay including benefits averages more than $32 an hour.
Do Amazon seasonal workers get health insurance?
From January 1, 2027, seasonal workers on at least 30 hours a week can join health plans starting at $5 a week with $5 co-payments. Those hired before January 1 become eligible on that date, and those hired later are covered from their first day.
Does this include jobs in India?
No. The announcement covers Amazon's US operations network only, and the company did not announce an Indian holiday hiring figure.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
Reported, fact-checked and published by the Peepals Global Editorial Team.
