{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","contentId":"0000019e-2842-dea0-a3be-b9c7ba040000","url":"https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/community/amazon-investment-washington-jobs-small-business","headline":"5 ways Amazon is investing in Washington","description":"Amazon has invested more than $400 billion in Washington, creating 95,000+ jobs and supporting local businesses and communities across the state.","datePublished":"2026-06-19T16:47:27.709Z","dateModified":"2026-06-19T16:47:27.709Z","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Amazon Staff","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/08549ff/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1125x1125+438+0/resize/84x84!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F47%2F6d%2F7fe296e642859c7ba2a629eda3ba%2Famazon-logo-hero-images-2024.jpg","width":"84","height":"84"}}],"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/e53811c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1688x1125+313+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fdf%2F69%2Fc4cc02da4d4b94d16452874ffcda%2Fseattleskyline-hero-amazonnews-ck6726.jpg","width":"300","height":"200"},"articleBody":"![Seattle skyline with Mt. Rainier in the background](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/e53811c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1688x1125+313+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fdf%2F69%2Fc4cc02da4d4b94d16452874ffcda%2Fseattleskyline-hero-amazonnews-ck6726.jpg)\n\n# 5 ways Amazon is investing in Washington\n\n*Amazon's investments are boosting the Evergreen State's economy while creating opportunities for Washingtonians.*\n\n---\n\n## Key takeaways\n\n- [Amazon has invested more than $400 billion in Washington](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/5d/1c/174fb9134c8ba5968eaa6f2bc297/amazoninvestment-washington-2025.pdf ) and contributed over $380 billion to the state's economy.\n- The company had more than 95,000 full- and part-time employees and supported more than 250,000 indirect jobs in 2025.\n- [Amazon's Puget Sound headquarters](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/amazon-offices/amazon-headquarters-seattle-photo-tour) supports 80,000 employees in the region.\n- Amazon partners with 21 educational institutions in Washington through its [Career Choice program](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/how-much-does-amazon-pay) and has upskilled over 3,000 employees since 2019.\n- More than 455 million items were sold by Washington-based independent sellers through Amazon's store.\n\n---\n\nFor more than 30 years, Amazon has been [investing across the United States](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/job-creation-and-investment/amazon-economic-impact-report-2025), strengthening local economies, and creating opportunities for communities nationwide. Washington is a prime example of this commitment, with Amazon building a substantial presence in the state since its founding here in 1994.\n\n![Seattle HQ1](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/78ef5dc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F8b%2Ffe%2F4e1d4fb4446d903d78eb4c696c68%2Fabout-amazon-inline-amzn-260227-0220.jpg)\n*Amazon's [Puget Sound headquarters](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/amazon-offices/amazon-headquarters-seattle-photo-tour)*\n\nToday, the Evergreen State serves as Amazon's home base and a thriving innovation and logistics hub, with investments spanning [corporate headquarters](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/amazon-offices/amazon-headquarters-seattle-photo-tour) and [fulfillment centers](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/tag/fulfillment-center) to [Whole Foods Market](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/tag/whole-foods-market) locations and [pharmacy](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/tag/amazon-pharmacy) operations. The company's economic impact extends beyond direct employment, supporting hundreds of thousands of additional jobs in construction, logistics, and professional services, and helping local businesses reach customers around the world.\n\n![An image of the interior of Amazon's Dynamo building in Bellevue, Washington.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/2b414fc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2151x1434+399+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F43%2F54%2F2a64c627400f9b8857a2bf8881a4%2Fabout-amazon-feature-hero-001-amazon-amazon-dynamo-5.jpg)\n\n- [Get an exclusive look inside Sonic and Dynamo, Amazon’s newest office buildings in Bellevue](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/amazon-offices/amazon-bellevue-offices-tour)\n\nHere are five ways Amazon is investing in Washington.\n\n## 1. Investing in our employees\n\nAmazon provides [competitive wages and comprehensive benefits](https://www.aboutamazon.com/workplace/employee-benefits) from Day 1. Core operations employees in customer fulfillment and transportation earn an average hourly base wage of more than $24, with total compensation averaging more than $32 an hour when including benefits. These benefits include health, vision, and dental insurance starting on Day 1, free mental health resources, up to 20 weeks of fully paid parental leave, a 401(k) with 50% company match, [a grocery discount](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-us-employee-grocery-discount)[a grocery discount](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-us-employee-grocery-discount), and flexible time-off options that increase with tenure.\n\n![Amazon employee](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/1b2f416/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1688x1125+0+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F63%2F9a%2F654b8c8741e59c956151c9a5ee85%2Famazonhealthcarebenefits-hero-2000x1125.jpg)\n\n- [5 awesome health benefits many Amazon employees can start using on their first day](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-health-benefits)\n\nBeyond more than 95,000 direct jobs, Amazon's presence in Washington supports approximately 250,000 indirect jobs in industries such as construction, logistics, and professional services—suppliers and partners whom we rely on every day.\n\n## 2. Supporting workforce development and upskilling\n\nAmazon is committed to preparing its workforce for future opportunities through comprehensive education and [skills training programs](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-future-of-work-skills-jobs-training). Since 2019, more than 3,000 Washington employees have participated in these free initiatives.\n\n![A technician working in a Project Kuiper clean room.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/a22d1e9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x900+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fd2%2F4e%2Fcacc970042efb505372b18ca61ff%2Fabout-amazon-inline-dezmond010-nadine008-kuiper-9634.jpg)\n*[Amazon's satellite technician certification](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-career-choice-project-kuiper-satellites) is available to eligible Amazon hourly employees via Career Choice and members of the general public through Lake Washington Institute of Technology.*\n\nIn Washington, Amazon partners with 21 educational institutions through its [Career Choice](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/career-choice-free-education-for-amazon-employees) program, which pre-pays 100% of tuition for employees pursuing further education. These partnerships with colleges and universities across the state help Amazon employees gain in-demand skills that can propel them into new careers. From Machine Learning University to Career Choice, these programs represent Amazon's investment in developing talent and creating [pathways to opportunity for its workforce](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/innovation-at-amazon/project-kuiper-career-training-new-jobs).\n\n## 3. Building infrastructure across the Evergreen State\n\nSince 2010, Amazon has invested more than $400 billion in Washington's infrastructure and employee compensation, contributing more than $380 billion to the state's gross domestic product.\n\n![An animated GIF showing yellow pods moving in rows around an amazon fulfillment center.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/679ca3f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/900x506+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Fe8%2F48%2F8ba555824065bc0fd7d543f7e791%2Fsequence-01-6p2.gif)\n*Robots moving yellow pods inside the [Amazon's Robotics research facility](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/amazon-robotics-facility-tour-washington) in Sumner, Washington.*\n\nThese investments include [16 fulfillment and sortation centers](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/amazon-robotics-facility-tour-washington), 16 delivery stations, five rural delivery stations, three Prime Now fulfillment centers, a pharmacy location, and other facilities across the state. The company has also expanded its retail footprint with 10 Whole Foods Market locations across Washington.\n\n![Renderings of the first SMR facilities in the United States](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/66c5c3f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3240x2160+300+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F6d%2F91%2F0a17435045bdbc45c9532d24f4a0%2Fcaef-7.png)\n\n- [A look at future carbon-free energy nuclear reactor facilities in Washington state](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/sustainability/amazon-smr-nuclear-energy)\n\n## 4. Empowering Washington's small businesses\n\nAmazon provides a powerful opportunity for Washington's entrepreneurs and small businesses to reach customers worldwide. Washington-based independent sellers—primarily small and medium-sized businesses—sold more than 455 million items through Amazon's store, with the average seller generating more than $555,000 in annual sales.\n\nThese independent sellers represent more than 60% of sales in Amazon's store. Their success contributes significantly to local economies, with more than 65% of U.S. independent sellers employing at least one person within 50 miles of their primary business location. By providing infrastructure, logistics support, and access to millions of customers, Amazon enables Washington's small businesses to scale their operations and create additional jobs throughout the state.\n\n![Amazon Flex driver smiling by scenic lake with mountains in background](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/1058563/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2538x1692+235+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Ffc%2Feb%2F9ff7a3cb4c41a16238fab7cfe33a%2Fhero001-aboutamazon-amazon-flex-seattle-pugetsound-dsc05662-copy-3008x1692.JPG)\n\n- [I’ve been delivering with Amazon Flex for 6 years. Here’s what it’s like.](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/amazon-flex-driver-delivery-photos)\n\n## 5. Investing as a good neighbor\n\n![ATL7 Warehouse worker checks inventory of humanitarian aid supplies in Disaster Relief Hub in Union City, Ga](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/2c38e78/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4608+0+0/resize/767x431!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2F5b%2Fbd%2F3c91e94548a3946da1744e60e4dd%2Faa-archive122-disasterresponse-atl7-amazon-8192x5464.JPG)\n*An Amazon volunteer checks inventory of humanitarian aid supplies in a Disaster Relief Hub.*\n\nAmazon uses its global scale and strengths to make a positive impact in communities. Working with trusted community partners, we address critical needs—[food security](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-adds-to-list-of-states-where-snap-benefits-may-be-used-online), [education](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/tag/education), [disaster relief](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/tag/disaster-relief)—using our logistics, technology, and innovation, while investing as a good neighbor in the communities where our employees live and work. In Washington, Amazon donated more than $47 million to over 300 local community organizations in 2025.\n\n![A photo of the spheres at Amazon's Puget Sound headquarters.](https://assets.aboutamazon.com/dims4/default/36c8924/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1688x1125+156+0/resize/300x200!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aboutamazon.com%2Ff2%2Fe4%2F6f67188e480392ce0b19a6671b59%2Fspheres-rolling-blog-hero-1.jpg)\n\n- [Amazon in the community: Here’s what’s happening in Seattle, Bellevue, and the Puget Sound](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/community/amazon-seattle-bellevue-puget-sound-news)\n\nIn addition, Amazon delivered more than 3 million meals on behalf of food banks across the state and contributed more than 60,000 disaster relief items to communities in need. The company has reached more than 30,000 students and 1,000 teachers through education programs and supported more than 400,000 computer science learning hours. More than 10,000 Amazon employees have volunteered in communities across Washington.\n\nRead more about how Amazon is [investing in Washington](https://www.aboutamazon.com/impact/amazon-washington) and the [U.S.](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/job-creation-and-investment/amazon-economic-impact-report-2025)","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"About Amazon","url":"https://www.aboutamazon.com","sameAs":["https://x.com/amazonnews","https://www.linkedin.com/company/amazon","https://www.instagram.com/amazonnews"],"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://assets.aboutamazon.com/bd/8f/88e7b0314cc2bd05b9de3155a0fe/amazon-news.svg"},"parentOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Amazon","url":"https://www.amazon.com","sameAs":["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3884","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_(company)","https://x.com/Amazon"]}}}