Amazon Hiring 150k Seasonal Workers, Offering Bonuses Up to $3,000

A tight labor market and ongoing supply chain woes are forcing major companies to ramp up hiring efforts and incentives like never before.

Amazon recently announced plans to hire 150,000 seasonal workers ahead of what’s expected to be a blockbuster online shopping holiday season. For context, that’s 50,000 more seasonal jobs than last year.

To get workers in the door, the company is also offering hiring bonuses up to $3,000.

“Our seasonal hiring helps us deliver on our promises to customers while also providing flexibility to our full-time employees during busy periods,” Amazon’s Senior Vice President of Global Customer Fulfillment Alicia Boler Davis said in a press release.

Amazon’s seasonal hiring sprint is in addition to another mass hiring announcement the company made just last month. In September, Amazon said it’s looking to hire 120,000 full- and part-time employees to staff transportation and fulfillment jobs, along with 40,000 corporate and tech jobs.

What You Need to Know About Amazon Seasonal Jobs

Seasonal employees will be trained to pick, pack and ship orders at Amazon warehouses in hundreds of cities across the country, the company said.

Seasonal workers have the upper hand this year, so Amazon is offering sign-on bonuses of up to $3,000 to entice job seekers, along with other incentives.

All U.S. Amazon jobs — including seasonal ones — come with an average starting pay of $18 per hour. The company said workers can earn an extra $3 per hour for certain shifts and locations. Specifically, early morning, evening, overnight and weekend shifts pay more.

There’s always the potential for seasonal gigs to turn into full-time positions, too. Many job postings boast first-day $100 bonuses for new hires who show proof of their Covid-19 vaccination.

The company is specifically looking for help at new Amazon facilities and existing high-demand locations. The retailer said it’s hiring the greatest number of seasonal employees in the following 20 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

How You Can Snag One of Those $3,000 Bonuses

Amazon’s job site lets you search for seasonal roles with sign-on bonuses. Open jobs are marked with bright blue boxes and labeled with the specific bonus associated with the position.

But be aware: Amazon is promoting sign-up bonuses up to $3,000. Several of the seasonal gigs we saw posted have bonuses in the $1,000 to $2,000 range.

For example, a seasonal Sortation Center Warehouse Associate role in La Vergne, Tennessee offers a $1,000 bonus if you start working by Nov. 14 — but it’s paid out in installments with the disclaimer “additional terms and conditions may apply.” And the hourly pay rate of $17.50 is a bit lower than the $18 minimum advertised in Amazon’s press release.

The global e-commerce giant is also stepping up seasonal hiring overseas. On Monday, Amazon announced thousands of temporary jobs in the U.K. — where labor is also in short supply — along with joining bonuses up to £3,000, or $4,140.

Other Retailers Are Beefing Up Perks for Seasonal Workers

Retailers across the United States are desperate to hire workers ahead of the holidays, but it isn’t easy.

The number of retail job openings reached 1.2 million in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s up from 876,000 openings during the same time last year.

To fill vacancies, companies are stepping up job perks and pay rates to lure seasonal jobseekers.

Kohl’s is offering a special bonus of $100 to $400 for hourly workers who stay through the holiday season. Meanwhile, Nordstrom said it will give hourly store workers up to $650 in incentive pay, and up to $2,500 bonuses for new supply chain employees.

Rachel Christian is a senior writer for The Penny Hoarder.

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