How To Get a $1,000 to $5,000 Amazon Sign-on Bonus

To combat labor shortages and attract new workers, Amazon occasionally offers $1,000 and $3,000 sign-on bonuses to warehouse and delivery workers — in some cases, the bonus can be as high as $5,000. The promotion has been running on and off since 2020, typically ramping up during the holiday season to meet increased demand. 

Sign-on bonuses (aka hiring bonuses and signing bonuses) are available to entry-level workers in all Amazon warehouses, including fulfillment centers (FCs), sortation centers (SCs), and delivery stations (DSs). New and returning Tier 1 (T1), Tier 3 (T3), and Level 4 (L4) employees are all eligible to receive the bonuses, but in this post, we’re only covering signing bonuses for T1 employees. 

Amazon sign-up bonus details and requirements

Amazon offers $1,000 and $3,000 sign-on bonuses. In rare cases, it may offer a $5,000 bonus. Any new or returning associates at FCs, SCs, DSs, and other warehouses are eligible to receive the sign-on bonus. This includes full-time, part-time, reduced-time, flex-time, and seasonal employees.

In other words: if you’re not currently working for Amazon, you can probably get a signing bonus. If you’re already working for Amazon, you probably can’t. 

If you’re a returning employee, your eligibility may depend on how long it’s been since you last worked for Amazon. Some facilities don’t require a waiting period, while others stipulate that you can’t receive a sign-on bonus unless it’s been anywhere from 90 days to 12 months since you left your previous Amazon position. 

Sign-on bonuses are offered for entry-level positions that don’t require any prior experience or degrees. You’ll just need to suit the job requirements, be at least 18 years old, and be able to pass a background check and a drug test (Amazon doesn’t test for cannabis). 

Keep in mind that not all Amazon locations and positions offer a bonus — it’s offered on a case-by-case basis. When you look for jobs on Amazon’s job portal, you can easily tell whether a bonus is available by looking for the banner on the job’s thumbnail on the left:

You can also search specifically for jobs with bonuses (we’ll show you how further down). 

Amazon makes decisions about when to offer bonuses and how much to pay based on current market conditions — when Amazon needs to meet high demand, it’s more likely to provide bonuses. Demand is particularly high around the holiday season and Prime Day, which occurs in the summertime, so you’ll see more jobs with bonuses around then. If you don’t see any jobs with hiring bonuses available, check back around November or December. 

Dustin Stowell, who has three years of experience working at a sortation center, says, “hard-to-fill roles or markets not deemed candidate rich are more likely to have bonuses. For example, there are hard-to-fill roles at my sort center, but because there are more people than positions, they do not need to offer incentives.”

How does the Amazon sign-up bonus work?

Receiving the signing bonus isn’t as simple as getting a check for $3,000 — there are a few steps involved to stop people from showing up to work on their first day, receiving their bonus, and then immediately quitting. 

You’ll usually be required to sign on for a specified period of time. For regular (not seasonal) employees — that’s often a year, but may only be 180 days in some cases. For seasonal employees, it’s the term of your employment, which can be up to 11 months. If you quit before the term is up, you’ll likely need to pay your bonus back. Note that seasonal employees may also be offered the option to convert to regular employment. 

When do I get my Amazon sign-on bonus?

The bonus may be paid out either as a lump-sum payment or in installments. 

If you’re receiving a $3,000 bonus as a regular employee, you’ll typically get $1,000 after your first 30 days and then the remaining $2,000 after 180 days. 

If you’re receiving a $1,000 bonus as a regular employee, you can expect to receive $500 after 30 days and another $500 after 90 days. 

How to find jobs that offer a sign-on bonus

Amazon makes it easy to find jobs with sign-on bonuses. Just go to Amazon’s official job portal and select “Find jobs near you.” On the next screen, toggle on “Sign-on bonus” at the top of the page:

Now, all the jobs you see will provide sign-on bonuses. Check the blue banner at the bottom of the thumbnail on the left to see how much you’ll get. 

Do I have to pay taxes on my bonus?

Bonuses are taxed as supplemental income instead of regular income. That means that you’ll need to pay a higher tax rate on your bonus — currently, it’s 22% in most cases, but it can be higher.

If you receive a $1,000 bonus, you can expect to pay $220 in taxes, leaving you with $780. If you receive a $3,000 bonus, you’ll likely need to pay $660 in taxes, which will leave you with $2,340. If you’re one of the lucky few to receive a $5,000 bonus, expect to pay $1,100 to the IRS and go home with $3,900 in hand. 

FAQs

Q: Can I get the Amazon sign-on bonus if I quit my Amazon job and reapply to a new one?

A: It depends. Usually, Amazon imposes a waiting period to prevent exactly this situation. Sometimes, the waiting period is just 90 days, but in others, it can be as long as 12 months. However, there isn’t always a waiting period, so it is possible in some circumstances to quit your current Amazon job and start a new one to get the sign-on bonus. 

Alex Rodriguez, who has two years of experience working in a fulfillment center, says, “one thing to keep in mind is that your Step Plan [raise/promotion schedule] will reset if you quit and reapply, so even if you are allowed to quickly reapply, it may not be worth it depending on how long you have been with the company.”

Q: What happens if I don’t pay back my Amazon sign-on bonus?

A: If you receive a sign-on bonus, quit before the specified term is complete, and don’t repay your bonus, you could be subject to a lawsuit: Amazon can sue you to recollect your bonus. Alternatively, Amazon could send your debt to collections agencies, which can drastically lower your credit score. It’s also possible that Amazon simply won’t want to bother trying to get your bonus back and won’t do anything. 

If you can’t afford to pay back your bonus, you may be able to do so in installments as part of a payment plan. 

Q: What if I never got my bonus?

If you applied while the bonus offer was still ongoing but haven’t gotten your bonus after the payout date has passed, reach out to your local HR office or call the employee resource center (ERC). You can find the ERC number at the bottom of the A to Z app.

The bonus doesn’t always hit your bank account immediately after the 90 or 180 days. It can take up to a week longer.

Get started

Can you see yourself as an Amazonian? Apply now to a position near you.