Whole Foods Hourly Staff Get September 28 Raise Under Amazon Plan

Amazon is investing more than $230 million in the year ahead in higher pay, expanded benefits, and new programs for more than 100,000 U.S. Whole Foods Market team members, the company said in an announcement published September 10, 2026. The post was written by Jason Buechel, vice president of Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores and CEO of Whole Foods Market, who described the commitment as one of the most significant investments in the grocer’s team members to date.

Buechel said the changes respond to feedback gathered during store visits that he and his leadership team make across the country each year. Team members, he wrote, have consistently asked for a clearer path for their pay to grow, more comprehensive health coverage, and expanded benefits for part-time roles. He noted that earlier feedback shaped changes including the company’s apprenticeship programs and workplace tools introduced earlier in 2026.

Hourly Pay Increase Effective September 28, 2026

Every U.S. Whole Foods Market hourly store team member will receive a pay increase on September 28, 2026. The investment brings the average store team member wage to more than $21 an hour and average total compensation to more than $29 an hour when the value of elected benefits is included, the company reported.

Frontline team members will also move to a pay model with predictable increases each year as they build time in their roles, replacing the previous performance-review-based model. Buechel said the company has invested in team member pay year after year and called the latest step a meaningful one.

Amazon Benefits Access Begins January 1, 2027

Starting January 1, 2027, U.S. team members will gain access to Amazon’s benefits, including new health, family, and financial support. Eligible full-time team members will have access to health plans with options starting at $5 a week, with $5 copays for primary care and behavioral health providers. Eligible plans also include a One Medical membership with same-day and virtual doctor visits at no added cost. Buechel said the package ranks among the most competitive in the retail industry.

Amazon health plans generally carry lower deductibles and out-of-pocket costs and include richer fertility and specialty-care coverage that many current Whole Foods Market plans do not, Buechel wrote, adding that team members who regularly use their care, particularly those covering a family or managing ongoing health needs, stand to see the most meaningful savings. The company said the total value of benefits available to a full-time team member is rising by more than 75%.

Company-paid short- and long-term disability insurance will begin automatically at no cost, and team members who enroll in an Amazon medical plan will gain fertility and family-building care plus cancer support and care navigation. Much of the coverage begins on a team member’s first day on the job. Fully paid parental leave will expand to up to 20 weeks for birthing parents and up to six weeks for supporting and adoptive parents.

Every hourly team member will also receive a free Amazon Prime membership, which the company values at $139 a year, low-cost prescriptions through Amazon Pharmacy, and other extra savings, in addition to the existing 20% in-store discount for store team members.

For part-time staff, nearly 20,000 team members working 20 or more hours a week will receive dental and vision coverage and free basic life insurance, which Buechel described as benefits uncommon for part-time roles across the retail industry.

Later in 2027, Whole Foods Market team members will gain access to Career Choice, Amazon’s education benefit that prepays tuition for college, skills training, and certifications. Amazon (AMZN ) reported that more than 300,000 employees have used the program since 2012 to build skills for high-demand careers. Buechel said Career Choice adds to a long Whole Foods Market tradition of investing in its people and promoting from within: the grocer promoted more than 12,700 store team members in 2025 and plans to create thousands of new leadership positions over the next few years. Its apprenticeship programs have helped more than 2,150 team members earn certifications in specialized skills such as butchery and fishmongering, according to the company.

Buechel said that since Whole Foods Market joined Amazon, the grocer has expanded its Quality Standards, growing the number of banned ingredients from around 80 to more than 500 across its stores, lowered prices, more than doubled promotions, and grown to more than 550 locations with over 100 more in development. Whole Foods Market is “in the best position in our 45-year history,” he wrote.