Amazon raises minimum hourly pay by $1 to $20 for operations workers

Amazon .com is raising the minimum hourly pay for its eligible full-time U.S. operations workers by $1 to $20, the e-commerce and cloud giant said on Wednesday. The company also unveiled a new benefit, "Day 1 Financial," giving qualified employees and their families lifetime access to low-cost banking services through First Tech Federal Credit Union. Amazon already offers benefits such as healthcare coverage for as little as $5 per week, a free Prime membership, and prepaid education programs. The average total compensation will now exceed $32 per hour including the value of its benefits package, the company said. Hourly pay for Walmart 's U.S. workers starts at $14, while Target offers a minimum hourly wage of $15, according to their websites.