Amazon Is a Good Place To Work - But Only For Some People

With more than one million employees across the United States, Amazon is clearly considered an excellent place to work by many people. However, some may find Amazon to be a better fit for them than others do just by virtue of different values, abilities, and life circumstances.

In this post, we will go into why Amazon is a good place to work for many people - as well as for whom working at Amazon might not be the best fit. We draw inspiration from a more general overview of the pros & cons of working at Amazon, and please note that this post applies solely to Amazon warehouse positions (e.g. Fulfillment Centers, Sortation Centers, and Delivery Stations) rather than corporate or customer service positions. 

What makes a “good” job?

There are many factors that go into each person’s individual calculation of whether or not a certain job is a “good” job by their standards, and each person will weigh these factors differently. Depending on the weight you give to each factor, you may or may not consider an Amazon Warehouse job to be a good job for you.

Compensation

Compensation is a very important factor to most people. In general, Amazon compensates L1 warehouse employees very fairly, with starting pay ranging from $15/hr to $21.50/hr. Compared to other entry level jobs, Amazon pays very well. If pay at the entry level is one of the most important factors to you, Amazon is a pretty good choice.

In addition to the high starting pay, raises are automatically given every 6 months (along with occasional manual raises) and many sites offer bonuses (sign-on bonus, referral bonus, 5-year tenure bonus). There are also frequent opportunities to earn more by doing extra hours and overtime.

Read more about how to maximize your pay as an Amazon warehouse employee in our post explaining pay at Amazon Warehouse.

Benefits

Benefits are another factor that many people weigh heavily in choosing a job. The benefits package Amazon provides to L1 warehouse employees is excellent.  It includes PTO, vacation time, high quality health insurance, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, generous Leave of Absence options, tuition reimbursement, and more.

Amazon is highly generous with time-off options. The health insurance offered by Amazon is also some of the best available to entry level workers. Overall, Amazon is a good choice if benefits are important to you.

Job Security & Availability

Job security is important to many people - having to find a new job on short notice due to layoffs is frustrating and destabilizing. As a (non-seasonal) Amazon warehouse employee, you can rest easy knowing that you have a fair amount of job security.

Amazon is always expanding, and warehouse associates will always be necessary. Good associates can be hard to find, so Amazon does a lot to retain them. Unless you commit a serious policy violation, you will likely have your job as long as you want it.

Amazon hires often, and he hiring process is also pretty easy to get through, making Amazon warehouse jobs highly available to those who seek a role. 

Flexibility

Flexibility is another important attribute that people look for in a job. Amazon has plenty of it.

There are different shift schedules and timings to choose from; and with the frequent availability of Voluntary Time Off (VTO) and Voluntary Extra Time (VET), you can customize your schedule even more. 

Amazon even offers Flexible Schedules, which allows you to change which days and hours you work week-to-week.

Along with generous time off options, these factors make Amazon a great place to work for those to whom flexibility is important.

Read more in our post explaining everything you need to know about shifts at Amazon Warehouse.

Work-Life Balance

Many people value work-life balance very highly. At Amazon, after your scheduled shift is over and you clock out, you’re done. There’s no emergency call-ins, work emails, or after-hours work. 

As an Amazon warehouse employee, work doesn’t get in the way of your outside life very much. With the availability of Voluntary Time Off (VTO) and generous time off options, you can also take time off whenever you need it.

Specific Circumstances

Depending on your circumstances, Amazon may or may not be a good fit for you.

Students: Yes

Overall, Amazon is a pretty good place to work for full-time students. Weekend-only shifts are sometimes available, and Flexible Schedules are a very good choice for students. It may be hard to work at Amazon while also attending school, but if you can find a schedule that works for you, it can pay off.

Amazon also offers student accommodations such as hour reductions and Educational Short Work Breaks (3-16 week continuous leaves from work) to help students better manage studying and working at the same time. Amazon even offers a $5,250 (or $2625 for part-time employees) tuition reimbursement benefit for all full-time permanent warehouse associates.

Parents Looking for Full-Time Work: Yes

In general, Amazon is a good place to work for parents/primary earners who are looking to work full-time. Amazon offers a consistent 40 hrs/week, and pays fairly for the work. Overtime is also consistently available if the money is needed. 

The benefits offered by Amazon are perfect for families. The excellent health insurance can cover your whole family for cheap, the disability and life insurance is a good safety net, and the flexibility offered by VTO and Amazon’s generous time-off options is helpful for those who have a family.

Stay-At-Home Parents Looking for Part-Time Work: Maybe

Amazon may not be the best option for stay-at-home parents looking for part-time work while kids are in school or on weekends. A schedule that coincides with school timings is uncommon, as are weekend-only shifts.

Flexible schedules may be a decent option for stay-at-home parents, however there is a minimum hour requirement each week and the shifts that are offered just may not coincide with the relatively narrow availability of a busy parent.

Additionally, Amazon does not offer the same level of benefits to part-time employees.

Elderly or Physically Disabled People: Maybe

An Amazon warehouse may be a challenging work environment for senior citizens or people with disabilities. Amazon warehouse work is quite physically strenuous - you’ll regularly be lifting objects up to 50 pounds, and you’ll be on your feet for your entire shift. If you’re unable to lift heavy objects or be on your feet for long periods of time, this may not be the job for you.

However, Amazon is very good about accommodating elderly and/or disabled associates. While an Amazon warehouse isn’t the best place to work for senior citizens and people with disabilities, some are able to find Amazon warehouse jobs that they can do with the help of accommodations. 

Felons/People With Criminal Records: Maybe

Amazon is a good place to work for felons and others with criminal records. In general, Amazon will only turn you away if you have a conviction that specifically impairs your ability to do the job (theft, embezzlement, fraud) or that makes you a safety risk to other associates (violent crimes and sexual offenses).

If enough time has passed, you may be eligible for hire even with some of these on your record (excluding sexual offenses and extremely serious violent crimes).

People With Drug Addiction History: Yes

Amazon is a good place to work for those with a history of drug addiction (unless you’re still actively using, in which case you won’t be able to be hired). Amazon does not care about past addiction issues, as long as you’re able to pass the drug test and show up to your shifts sober.

Amazon also offers excellent insurance and time-off options, which can be crucial to get you back on track without losing your job if past addiction becomes an ongoing problem. 

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