Amazon has a global workforce of 1.5 million workers. The Seattle-based company said the average pay is increasing to more than $23 per hour. Amazon also said it will lower the cost of its entry health care plan to $5 per week and $5 for co-pays, starting next year. In January 2024, Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer, said that average wages for hourly workers would exceed $18, up from $17.50.  At Minneapolis-based Target, the starting hourly wage ranges from $15 to $24 for workers employed at stores and distribution centers. Amazon spends $1 billion to increase pay and lower health care costs for US workers | AP News