Amazon will raise the minimum starting wage for its full-time U.S. operations workers to $20 an hour, a bump that reaches the company's 800,000-square-foot CVG Air Hub in Hebron.

The $1-per-hour increase takes effect Sept. 27 and covers core operations employees who pack, ship and transport orders, Amazon said in a company blog post. The company called it a more than $1.5 billion investment in higher pay nationwide.

With the raise, Amazon said average hourly pay for these workers will reach nearly $24. Average total compensation, including benefits, will exceed $32 an hour, according to the company.

The Hebron hub is Amazon Air's largest. The campus at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) has created more than 4,000 local jobs, and more than 1,300 associates report there daily, according to LINK nky reporting from the hub's fifth anniversary in August. Amazon said it has invested more than $30 billion in Boone County since the project was announced.

"This is the crown jewel of Amazon Air, and this is the most prominent, largest operation we have in the entire world, located right here in Northern Kentucky," director of operations Mike Berg told LINK nky in August.

The wage floor has climbed more than 17% over three years, according to the company. Amazon first set its minimum at $15 an hour in 2018, according to MyNorthwest.

Amazon also announced new perks starting Oct. 1. All U.S. employees will get a 10% discount on eligible groceries and essentials through Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market online, and 20% off in Whole Foods stores.

A new banking benefit called "Day 1 Financial" will give qualified workers and their families fee-free accounts through First Tech Federal Credit Union. Rollout begins in late 2026.

The raise comes ahead of the holiday shipping season. Amazon hired 250,000 workers ahead of last year's holidays, according to MyNorthwest. The new $20 floor puts Amazon above Walmart and Target, whose frontline workers average $18.50 an hour, according to The Hill.

Udit Madan, Amazon's senior vice president of worldwide operations, said the company also offers an annual step plan where pay increases during an employee's first three years. The pay increase takes effect Sept. 27 for eligible full-time workers at the Hebron hub and across Amazon's U.S. operations.