Amazon Delivery Jobs Are Mix of Side Gigs, Careers, Business Opportunities

In a bid to control its entire product distribution chain, Amazon has its eyes set on disrupting the carrier-service industry.

As the e-commerce giant ekes toward a 50% share of all online sales, it has run into a snag: getting millions of packages a day to its customers, often within two days.

In past years, Amazon has leaned on delivery partners like FedEx, UPS and the USPS to transport a fair share of its packages, with the Post Office dedicating every Sunday to Amazon deliveries. But as recent initiatives suggest, Amazon is leaning less on its partners and more on its own delivery services.

In an August statement announcing the end of its ground-delivery contract with FedEx, Amazon said the company is seeking “to improve the carrier experience and sometimes that means reevaluating our carrier relationships.”

And as delivery contracts sunset, more internal Amazon delivery jobs are up for grabs, especially during the holiday hiring season.

Types of Amazon Delivery Jobs

Amazon has launched a variety of programs to solve its delivery conundrum. Because demand for delivery drivers is so high, requirements to land Amazon delivery jobs are often very low.

To qualify for typical delivery jobs, applicants should have:

• A valid driver’s license (commercial class isn’t required).
• The ability to lift and carry boxes up to 70 pounds.
• A high school diploma, or equivalent.
• Sufficient English skills to read road signs.

And regardless of position, Amazon workers are guaranteed at least $15 an hour.

Amazon Flex

One way Amazon is recruiting delivery drivers fast is through the gig economy. It offers on-demand delivery gigs through Amazon Flex.

Flex drivers use their own car or SUV to deliver Amazon.com, Prime Now and Amazon Fresh orders. The company says Flex drivers make between $18 and $25 an hour. But those rates fluctuate based on how many deliveries the driver completes.

Flex gigs are available across the nation, but the company lists only regions with the highest demand during the initial sign-up process. If your area isn’t listed, you can join the “interest list” for future gigs in your area.

Amazon Fresh

Amazon isn’t all smiley brown boxes. The company delivers fresh groceries as well.

Amazon Fresh launched more than a decade ago, and stayed mostly within Seattle. In recent years, Fresh services have expanded and jobs are now available in big cities such as New York and Los Angeles.

Amazon does not provide a comprehensive list of locations where Fresh operates, but job seekers can check for local Fresh jobs using the company’s jobs portal.

While some Flex drivers may deliver grocery orders, Fresh drivers are limited to grocery orders only and are typically considered part-time employees, not independent contractors.

Seasonal Amazon Delivery Jobs

As the holidays approach, the retail industry prepares by hiring hundreds of thousands of seasonal workers, typically between September through November.

This year, The Penny Hoarder tallied nearly 500,000 seasonal job openings, Amazon included. In previous years, Amazon has hired more than 100,000 employees during the holiday season but has yet to announce official numbers in 2019.

Seasonal driver jobs at Amazon are full-time. Applicants must be 21 or older, be able to safely operate a 10,000-pound delivery van and be able to work shifts up to 12 hours long.

To apply, visit the company’s seasonal jobs portal or text DRIVENOW to 77088.

Delivery Service Partner Program

Want to run your own business delivering packages? Amazon’s got a program for that too.

Its partnership program launched in June 2018 to entice delivery-savvy workers to start their own businesses ferrying Amazon packages full-time. Amazon provides basic training and guidance, but the hiring of employees and leasing of vehicles is on its partners.

The company expanded the program in May 2019 to encourage current Amazon employees to start their own package-delivery businesses. It offers them up to $10,000, plus three months of current wages to quit their Amazon jobs and join the new program. Military veterans who aren’t Amazon employees may also be eligible for the startup funds.

Amazon favors applicants who have:

• Experience hiring and developing employees.
• At least $30,000 in liquid assets.
• Previous business-ownership history.
• Experience delivering packages.

Interested? Our Amazon Delivery Service Partner guide takes a deep dive into the nuances of the program.

Adam Hardy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. He specializes in ways to make money that don’t involve stuffy corporate offices. Read his ​latest articles here, or say hi on Twitter @hardyjournalism.