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Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

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Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#31

Post by duck »

hjnilsson wrote: post #21
bluedino wrote: post #8

>> Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos received $1,681,840 in compensation in 2017, the proxy statement said, $1.6 million of which represents the cost of providing his security. Is that pretty typical for a person who is say, in the richest 5-100 people in the world to spend on security? What kind of protection does that buy?

If we assume a reasonable bodyguard charges $100 an hour, and he has 2 bodyguards 16 hours a day (or 4 in 2 by 8 hours). 100 * 2 * 16 * 365 = $1.16 million Count in that they need travel, food and hotels along with Bezos, and it’s not unreasonable or excessive.

And I would assume he has at some sort of protection around the clock, so that seems pretty low actually.

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#32

Post by vorpalhex »

SolarNet wrote: post #24
epicureanideal wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're assuming 2 kids and 1 income earner, though. It's above minimum wage. If we say that's not enough, we should raise minimum wage. Or we should create a society where it's possible for the people currently working for $26k/yr to have a stable roadmap to much higher earnings. But I don't think Amazon alone is to blame for the problem.

Except raising the minimum wage is often met with cries that it will stifle business and prevent competition. The problem is fundamentally that labor markets can't be free markets, and the minimum wage is not a viable way to control the market distortions. The better solution is to use a basic income which allows people to not work for companies like Amazon until they can pay a better wage.

A minimum wage of $7/hr in the Bay Area or NYC is useless. That won't cover transportation. $14/hr is still, basically, the same amount of more or less useless.

In, to quote Ken White, "pluck-my-banjo" Texas, that's a perfectly fine and livable sum. A dollar or two raise and you can probably start saving up for a house realistically. $14/hr is kingly.

Amazon warehouses are usually not in banjo-playing rural areas, but rather as close to major towns as is economically feasible for Amazon's rent bill.

This is neither a basic income nor a federal minimum wage problem. This is a lack of competing opportunities for minimally skilled workers problem. If these same workers had realistic job opportunities that paid well, then Amazon would have to raise wages (and pass some of that onto the consumers, but, that's relatively nothing).

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#34

Post by NegativeLatency »

throwaway637h wrote: post #14

That's more than a junior yearly salary for a software engineer with a degree where I'm from though. With higher taxes, higher prices for consumer electronics and much more expensive gasoline.

That amount isn't much in the US.

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#35

Post by unpopular42 »

the_mitsuhiko wrote: post #9
jdoliner wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thinks what's normal exactly? That not all of his employees get paid an equal amount? I'm inclined to agree that he thinks that's normal, yes. Given that it's true at almost every company in the world, that seems like a reasonable position.

I’m pretty sure it was about the amount paid not that not everybody is paid the same.

So what exactly is wrong with this amount? And what amount would be the correct amount?

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#36

Post by narrator »

austincheney wrote: post #22

Before people comment too much about wage inequality consider for a moment that this ins't a feudal state where people are locked into role and wage limits outside their control. I am a software developer for one of the larger companies and also an Army Reservist. When I go away to do Army stuff I frequently encounter people who work much harder and earn much less than I do in their civilian jobs. Is that fair? I wou…

The lie in America is that everyone is good at everything and those who don't succeed aren't trying hard enough. This lie is used to make people who aren't talented believe it's due to a moral failing or character flaw and thus talented people are morally superior.

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#37

Post by mchannon »

elicash wrote: post #7

This means a very sizable percentage of Amazon's workforce (though not quite half) could qualify for SNAP. "130% of the poverty line for a three-person family is $2,213 a month, or about $26,600 a year." https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/a-quick-guide-...

Wouldn't jump to that conclusion, given that this number is a median, not a mean. The minimum full-time salary could also be $28,446 and yield the same median number, depending on how Amazon pays their bottom rung.

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#38

Post by vorpalhex »

austincheney wrote: post #22

Before people comment too much about wage inequality consider for a moment that this ins't a feudal state where people are locked into role and wage limits outside their control. I am a software developer for one of the larger companies and also an Army Reservist. When I go away to do Army stuff I frequently encounter people who work much harder and earn much less than I do in their civilian jobs. Is that fair? I wou…

I'm a high paid software engineer. I also had amazing computer teachers and remember writing BASIC programs to play MIDI in elementary. I also have the advantage of living in the city, being a white male, and being young and social.

Being a software engineer requires a particular mindset, a lot of time and exposure, and people willing to support that. I was lucky enough to have all of the above, but most folks do not.

I'm in the midst of helping a friend who is currently a welder move into software engineering. He's extremely intelligent and has the brain for it, but it's also taken literal years, finding him a capable dev machine (a used macbook air, donated from another engineer), tutoring him (me and another engineer, going on for two years now), and now he's going to a bootcamp (which cost thousands of dollars he didn't have in his pocket).

He is still going to have to find an actual job and make the move from bootcamp to real life. That's another involved process that will require multiple people helping him.

And again, this is a young white male who has a very high aptitude for this.

It's a bit more work than "just invest in yourself!". The average computer user has difficulty searching their own email or resetting a password. Even those with natural aptitude require help - and not a trivial amount either.

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#39

Post by colek42 »

There is this false assumption that people are paid what they are worth. People are paid what the market will bear. $28k is about 13/hour. For places like East TN this is not a horrible wage, and you can live on it. As a comparison, an entry-level position in the military, E1, makes less even when you account for allowances.

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#40

Post by gowld »

vorpalhex wrote: post #32
SolarNet wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except raising the minimum wage is often met with cries that it will stifle business and prevent competition. The problem is fundamentally that labor markets can't be free markets, and the minimum wage is not a viable way to control the market distortions. The better solution is to use a basic income which allows people to not work for companies like Amazon until they can pay a better wage.

A minimum wage of $7/hr in the Bay Area or NYC is useless. That won't cover transportation. $14/hr is still, basically, the same amount of more or less useless. In, to quote Ken White, "pluck-my-banjo" Texas, that's a perfectly fine and livable sum. A dollar or two raise and you can probably start saving up for a house realistically. $14/hr is kingly. Amazon warehouses are usually not in banjo-playing rural areas, bu…

There's a large tier between banjo-playing Texas and "Bay Area"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Amazon_locations#Fulfi...

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