Amazon hands 70,000 UK staff pay rise as starting salaries hit £31,400

ONLINE giant Amazon has announced a pay increase for its frontline staff in the UK, ranging from 5.2% to 5.6%. The company announced that full-time annual salaries will start at a minimum of £31,408, rising to £33,488 in some locations. Amazon said the minimum starting pay for frontline operations employees will rise by up to 5.6%, to £15.10, and by 5.2% to £16.10 an hour, depending on location. The pay rises will come into effect from September 27, affecting 70,000 employees including staff at delivery stations and those based in fulfilment centres. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! Starting pay has increased by 80p an hour in the past year, and by 44% since 2022, said Amazon. The rise will benefit tens of thousands of frontline operations employees across the UK. They include warehouse and sorting hub staff who pick, pack, stow and dispatch customer orders. Delivery station and distribution centre employees who manage parcels, load vans and sort stock will also benefit. Delivery drivers are also in line for a welcome pay boost. John Boumphrey, Amazon UK country manager, said: “Our frontline teams are the backbone of our business, and this pay increase reflects that. Most read in Money “Starting salaries now exceed £31,000 a year, and we’ll continue investing in our people because they deserve it.” Amazon said it has committed to investing £40billion in the UK from 2025 to 2027 – the largest investment in the company’s history outside the US – with more than £15billion already delivered. Comment now