Amazon says it wants to hire more than 2,400 workers in San Diego for the 2026 holiday season, part of a broader statewide push that will bring more than 34,000 seasonal, part-time and full-time positions to California. The openings come as Amazon ramps up nationwide, with the company announcing plans to hire more than 300,000 people across its U.S. core operations network before the holiday rush.
San Diego's Share of a Statewide Hiring Wave
Amazon plans to hire more than 2,400 workers in San Diego as the company prepares for the holiday shopping season, according to Patch. That local total is a slice of the more than 34,000 positions available across California, as reported by vvdailypress.com. Amazon itself frames the effort as hiring over 300,000 people for seasonal, part-time and full-time roles across its U.S. core operations nationwide this holiday season, according to the company's own announcement.
Pay for the San Diego positions follows the same structure Amazon is using nationally. Seasonal positions pay an average of $20 per hour, although wages vary by location and job, the same Patch report notes — a figure that matches what Amazon has stated for its seasonal workforce company-wide.
Benefits Kick In Fast for Seasonal Staff
One detail likely to catch the attention of applicants: eligible seasonal employees who work at least 30 hours per week will have access to healthcare coverage on their first day of work, per Amazon's own announcement detailed through its press materials. Full-time core operations employees, meanwhile, start at a minimum wage of $20 an hour, with average hourly pay nearing $24 an hour, and average total compensation exceeding $32 an hour once benefits are factored in, the company says. Amazon has also pointed to a recent investment of more than $1.5 billion in additional pay for fulfillment and transportation employees.
Full-time workers get access to a broader benefits package that includes a free Prime membership, a 401(k) with company match, and prepaid tuition through Career Choice worth up to $5,250 a year through more than 475 education partners. Amazon employees in the U.S. also recently gained an uncapped 10% discount on eligible groceries and everyday essentials on Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market online, the company says. Full-time staff can also receive up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave, and seasonal employees who stick around can see an average pay increase of 15% over their first three years with the company.
Not Every Job Ends When the Season Does
Some seasonal positions could become permanent after the holidays, Patch's report notes, though the company has not specified how many roles across San Diego or California might convert. Amazon has also said that seasonal jobs offer competitive pay, flexible schedules and an opportunity to work during retail's busiest time of year. KTLA separately reported that Amazon plans to hire more than 2,900 workers in Los Angeles as part of the same statewide expansion.
Amazon says it will post new job opportunities weekly from October through December, meaning the final tally of open roles could keep climbing through the season. Prospective applicants can apply online at amazon.com/localjobs or sign up for local job alerts by texting NEWJOB to 31432, according to the company.
A Bigger Hiring Push Than Last Year
This year's national hiring target is a notable jump from 2025. Amazon pledged 250,000 holiday jobs last year, meaning the 2026 target marks a 20% increase, according to CNBC. The broader labor market backs up the trend: seasonal job postings were 10% higher in 2026 than in 2025 as of September 30, per Indeed Hiring Lab data cited in the same report, while desktop searches for seasonal and holiday job terms were up 28% over the prior year. Loading and stocking roles made up 9% of all holiday job listings as of that same date.
Not every retailer is scaling up at the same pace. UPS announced on October 7 that it would hire 100,000 seasonal employees in 2026, a figure nearly 10% lower than its 2025 target, CNBC reported — a sign that holiday hiring strategies are diverging even as overall seasonal demand climbs.
