Amazon work from home jobs are real! That’s right. The mega online retailer is also one of the many remote-friendly companies out there. In fact, they have an entire division devoted to virtual workers.
If you’ve been on the hunt for a real work from home job, especially in customer service, read on. I’m going into all the details of what it’s like to work from home at Amazon and how you can become an Amazon At-Home Agent too!
About Amazon
Before we dive into what it’s like to be a part of the Amazon work from home team, let’s talk about the company first.
Amazon is one of the largest e-commerce retailers in the world. E-commerce is just a fancy way of saying buying and selling online. As of 2017, Amazon is the top online retailer in the U.S. with $94.7 billion in online sales (that accounts for a whopping 70% of the company’s revenue!).
To put that number into perspective, Apple (another work-from-home company) came in second place with $16.8 billion followed by Walmart in third at $14.4 billion!
And because Amazon shows no signs of slowing between its ecommerce platform and subscription services like Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited, and Amazon Music Unlimited (to name a few), there’s a growing demand for customer service pros to assist users with everything from orders and shipping to technical issues and support.
That’s where you come in.
Amazon Work From Home Jobs
Amazon has physical workspaces and hubs throughout the United States. These warehouses are often called ‘fulfillment centers’ and are where orders are picked, packed, and shipped by employees to their final destination at your doorstep in as little as one day!
But these aren’t the only opportunities to get your foot in the door at Amazon. Thanks to their Virtual Locations program, many workers across the U.S. can become an Amazon employee without ever stepping foot in a warehouse.
These jobs are most often part of the Amazon work from home customer service program. However, there are other virtual jobs to be found too!
The best way to keep on top of all work from home opportunities at Amazon is to bookmark and visit their Amazon Work From Home jobs page.
Amazon Work From Home Customer Service
For the purpose of this company profile, I’ll be focusing on the Amazon work from home customer service jobs. Why? Hands down, these are the most readily available remote-friendly jobs at Amazon. And these positions are open to the majority of U.S. residents, giving more people the opportunity to kick their cubicles to the curb!
Amazon hires virtual reps year round but seriously ramps up their hiring just before the busy holiday season. Keep in mind, sometimes this means seasonal opportunities only. But there are also chances to snag Amazon work from home part-time and full-time gigs. It really depends on their need and current demands for virtual reps.
What You’ll Be Doing As an Amazon Work From Home Customer Service Rep
Your day-to-day responsibilities will involve taking inbound calls from Amazon customers. You may also respond to support emails or incoming live chats.
Most interactions with customers will deal with orders — either questions about an existing order or difficulties when trying to place an order.
But you may also help solve problems or provide support. Keep in mind, most customers contact Amazon by live chat or phone — so you’ll have to be quick when offering solutions to customers!
Where Does Amazon Hire?
Good question! Although the virtual customer service positions at Amazon are work-from-home, you still need to reside in one of the following states:
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
At the time I’m writing this, these are the only states Amazon currently hires virtual customer service reps.
Now, if you’re looking for other virtual jobs at Amazon, be sure to read the job description from the Virtual Locations Hiring Page. Those jobs may or may not be location-specific. However, when it comes to their work from home customer service jobs, you will need to live in one of the states listed!
What Experience Do I Need to Work From Home For Amazon?
Generally speaking, Amazon likes to see the following experience for their virtual customer service reps:
- High school diploma (or equivalent)
- 1+ years in a service environment
- Basic typing, Internet, phone, and research skills
It’s also helpful if you possess the following qualities:
- Customer focus
- Ability to prioritize customer needs
- Patience
- Conflict resolution
- Ability to assess customer needs & deliver appropriate solutions
That’s it! This is a really great opportunity to use your real world experience in retail, hospitality or other service-based industry to snag a work-from-home job.
What About Technical Requirements? What Will I Need?
Like all work from home jobs, you will need to meet certain tech requirements in order to be considered for a position. And the Amazon work from home jobs are no different. The basic tech requirements needed for their virtual customer service jobs include:
- A Windows PC
- 64-bit operating system running either Windows 8.1, Windows 10, OSX 10.9 or higher
- Minimum 10 mbps download speed (test your speed over at Speedtest.net)
- No wifi — must be hardwired to the internet via Ethernet cable — sorry no satellite!
- Laptops are OK, but you must have an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse
- Windows Auto Update
- Windows Defender
You’ll also need to be able to take phone calls. But don’t worry, you won’t need a landline! Once you’re hired, Amazon will ship you a headset for taking calls via Internet. You’ll also receive a Gemalto token, which will turn your PC into a super-secure powerhouse for both your protection and the customers you interact with!
So Far So Good. What Will My Schedule Be Like?
Your schedule will largely depend on demand. Sometimes, Amazon specifically hires work from home customer service agents just to handle calls during high-volume times. Remember, Amazon’s peak times run from Thanksgiving to mid-January. During those months you may be working full time or even overtime to meet the increase in online shoppers.
During off-peak times, Amazon’s virtual support center is open from 3 a.m. to midnight PST. Your shift could fall anytime during these hours. And you’ll be expected to have a pretty flexible schedule to accommodate these hours. You may be assigned any combo of day, afternoon, or evening shifts. Most reps will work at least one weekend day with many working both Saturday and Sunday.
You’ll also have to attend and complete paid training which may have a completely different schedule. Fortunately, your recruiter will go over all that information with you so you won’t be caught off guard when it comes time to train.
What About Amazon Work From Home Salary? How Much Will I Make?
For customer service reps, the Amazon work from home salary is the same: $10.00/hour (unless you reside in a state where the minimum wage is higher).
This includes paid training while you’re learning the ropes! Virtual reps also have bonus opportunities that can boost their $10 hourly rate.
Remember, Amazon has additional virtual work from home jobs available which will likely pay higher, but for customer service reps there is an across-the-nation pay rate of $10/hour.
I Want To Be A Part Of the Amazon Work From Home Team!
That’s the spirit! To learn more about Amazon work from home jobs, head on over to their Virtual Locations Career Page.
And, before you apply, be sure to check out their culture and benefits page to see if you’ll be a good fit.
As always, I recommend you spruce up your resume before applying. Fortunately for you, I’ve put together a free ‘hack your resume’ guide for remote workers. Grab your copy by signing up below. Good luck!
Happily,
Ashlee
P.S. This post might have affiliate links. What are affiliate links? They’re a way for me to earn a little cash recommending products and services to you. Even so, I only suggest products, brands, and services I know, trust and use. Need to know more? No problem. I’ve written a disclosure statement you can read 🙂
Hack Your Resume!
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Work from home jobs have so much advantages and Amazon really gives a lot of opportunities for working from home. Their affiliates programs are also great option.
Nice of you Ashlee to share job opportunities with readers!
Thank you, Ashlee, for sharing your insights. Love your blog and your approach to working from home. I am a real estate agent that is looking for a side income, so I have a steady stream of income between my commission checks.
Again Thank you for your inspiration.
Nurit
Calabasas Real Estate Broker and Non-Performing Note Broker
hello,
i`m currently looking for some sought of work that i can do from home.. i`m 62 and really have had enough of dealing with the public. is there a position where i could use email or chat as a response.. ?/ thank you?