Amazon has announced a pay increase for its front-line team members that brings the average total compensation for workers to $29, affecting the 34,000 jobs held by workers across the state of Georgia. The wage increases totaled an additional $2.2 billion of investment nationwide.
This investment also increases the roughly $18.5 billion invested into the state of Georgia since 2010, a number that includes both Amazon infrastructure and employee compensation.
Amazon supports over 34,000 jobs in Georgia, with an additional estimated 44,700 jobs that are indirectly supported by Amazon's work within the state.
There are 56 main investment sites across the state, including 22 fulfillment and sortation centers, 12 Whole Foods Market locations, and 8 solar farms.
Amazon has filmed several original movies and series in Georgia, including “Band Oh. What. Fun.,” “The Bondsman,” “The Pickup,” “I Want You Back,” "My Best Friend's Exorcism,” “Emergency,” “The Idea of You,” “Swarm,” “The Underground Railroad,” “Citadel,” “Them,” and “Phat Tuesdays.”
Since raising its starting wage to $15 per hour in 2018—more than double the federal minimum wage at that time—the company has consistently increased wages annually.
Starting in September, hourly workers at Amazon will receive an additional $1.50 per hour, boosting their average base wage to over $22 per hour. When factoring in the value of benefits, such as immediate access to health care, average total compensation for these workers will exceed $29 per hour. This increase translates to an annual salary boost of approximately $3,000 for full-time employees working a standard 40-hour week.
As one of the largest private employers in the United States, Amazon has a workforce of over 800,000 across the country.