Amazon Invests $1B in Wages, Benefits

Amazon will create 3,500 seasonal positions in Connecticut, part of the company’s nationwide effort to hire 250,000 employees for the 2025 holiday season.

The company is investing $1 billion in enhanced wages and benefits for fulfillment and transportation employees across the country.

Glendowlyn Thames, who heads Amazon’s economic development efforts in Connecticut, said the company has invested $11.5 billion in the state since 2010, including infrastructure and employee compensation.

Thames said the investments “demonstrate our deep commitment to the state’s economic growth.”

“As we create 3,500 seasonal positions and continue to raise wages across our operations, we’re not only strengthening local economies but also improving the shopping experience for customers throughout Connecticut while supporting the independent sellers who call this state home,” she added.

Nationally, Amazon has invested more than $1.5 trillion since 2010.

Economic Impact

Amazon’s newly released Economic Impact Report, independently analyzed by Keystone Strategy, details the role it plays in Connecticut’s economy:

• $11.5 billion in investments since 2010 contributed $11 billion to Connecticut’s GDP
• Those investments create a multiplier effect, with each $1 invested generating $1.30 in additional economic activity
• Amazon’s Connecticut footprint includes six fulfillment and sortation centers, 10 delivery stations, and 13 Whole Foods Market stores
• Research from Amazon and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania shows counties with Amazon facilities see median household incomes increase by more than $1,400 annually and poverty rates fall by 2.7% on average

Over 60% of sales in Amazon’s store come from independent sellers, most of which are small and medium-sized businesses.

Connecticut independent sellers operating on Amazon’s marketplace contribute to the more than two million people employed by Amazon sellers nationwide last year.

Those Connecticut businesses sold 44 million items in 2024, averaging approximately $240,000 in annual sales.

Wages, Benefits

Amazon’s wage and benefits investments for fulfillment and transportation employees will see average total compensation, including elected benefits, increase to over $30 an hour.

Employees with three-plus years of service will be eligible eligible for pay increases of up to 35%.

The company will also offer healthcare plans that begin at $5 a week, with $5 co-pays for doctor visits, along with additional benefits, including parental leave.

In Connecticut, Amazon’s Career Choice program will pre-pay tuition for employees attending Connecticut State Community College, Southern Connecticut State University, and the University of Connecticut.