Amazon is preparing for one of its busiest times of the year by creating 3,500 seasonal jobs across Oklahoma, with more than 2,000 positions available in the Oklahoma City area. Daniel Martin, U.S. regional lead for Amazon’s field communications team, said, “We ramp up every year and we hire seasonal associates and employees to help us deliver for customers.”
These seasonal roles, which include packing and sorting orders in fulfillment centers, offer wages well above minimum wage. “Our minimum starting wage is $19.50 an hour right now and our average hourly wage across the United States is around $23 an hour,” Martin said. Full-time employees receive an average total compensation of around $30 an hour, which includes benefits such as $5-a-week health care plans, paid parental leave, and tuition assistance through Amazon’s “Career Choice” program. Martin explained, “It’s a program that allows our employees and associates to pursue higher education – to get their bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree, certifications in things like commercial truck driving or nurse practitioner.”
Despite reports of Amazon planning to cut thousands of corporate positions, the company’s Oklahoma operations manager emphasized that local hiring and expansion are not slowing down. “From an operation standpoint, we’re looking to hire right now and grow our operations network, looking to add 3,500 jobs across the state,” he said…