Working from home is all the rage these days. According to the U.S. Career Institute, 65% of employees who work in an office would prefer to work remotely all the time. Not all employers allow remote work, but Amazon is one of them.
Of course, these aren’t warehouse or delivery jobs. They generally involve doing most or all your work from a computer. This article will take a look at the best Amazon work-from-home (WFH) jobs, what you need to land one of these jobs, and how to apply.
Types of Amazon Work-from-Home Jobs
Amazon offers many types of work-from-home-jobs, also known as virtual or remote jobs. While these jobs usually involve working form a computer, there are many different roles here in various departments. There isn’t a particular skill set or type of job that is especially well-suited to remote work with Amazon.
If you can do it from a computer, you can probably do it from home.
That said, here are some of the best types of remote jobs available with Amazon.
Customer Support
Customer service (CS) is often one of the first kinds that comes to mind when people think about remote jobs. There’s a reason some companies use remote call centers — because you can generally do this work from anywhere.
These roles generally involve helping customers via phone, chat, or email. Key responsibilities might include addressing customer questions, processing orders, and resolving issues.
Keep in mind that these jobs can be highly specialized; for instance, one currently available CS job at Amazon is supporting the Blink smart home security system. Another is more general and involves maintaining executive summary requests.
While many types of customer service jobs are available at Amazon, they all involve improving the customer service in one way or another. If you love helping people, this could be the job for you.
Sales and Account Management
People who work in sales and account management have the ever-important job of managing client relationships, selling products and services, and developing business strategies. This category can include many roles, such as account managers and market managers.
Keep in mind that, while sales and account management jobs can sometimes be done remotely, they may require you to live in certain cities. For instance, you may need to live in cities like Chicago, Rochester, or Dallas. If you don’t already live in the metro, you would need to relocate for the job. However, you may be able to work on at least a hybrid basis.
Technical Roles
Amazon is generally considered a tech company, so it’s no surprise the company has a variety of technical roles. These jobs are often tasked with helping customers resolve issues with products like Kindle or Echo. It could also involve coordinating services Amazon owns, like Twitch.
Given that these services are often provided to people all over the world, they can naturally be done remotely in many cases.
Technical jobs at Amazon can also include interesting roles, like program directors. These can involve product launches around AI technologies. Program directors are very senior-level positions, but it’s possible to do the work remotely.
Project and Program Management
Amazon hires people for various project and program management roles that can be done remotely. These are non-technical and require overseeing and coordinating projects at Amazon. This usually means ensuring projects are completed on time and within scope. Often, it means coordinating projects with various different teams.
Take this program manager job, for example. The posting mentions that the person in the role will need to work with people from the forward/logistics teams, product teams, service partners, and customer service operational teams. It also says the candidate must be able to work through complex changes in processes across multiple teams.
This is just one role, but having studied project management at college, I can say that it sounds pretty typical. If you have the right skill set, though, it’s worth considering.
Software Development
Software development is always popular as a work-from-home job, and Amazon has opportunities on its website. In addition to jobs for software developers, you might also find postings for data engineers or systems development engineers. These jobs usually require top-notch technical skills and experience in areas like cloud computing, machine learning, and software engineering.
Of course, you will likely need experience with one or more coding languages for these jobs. In looking at one of Amazon’s data engineer postings, you need backend experience with Node, GoLang, Elixir, and/or Ruby. It also calls for experience with various other languages and technologies.
Human Resources
If tech isn’t your thing, Amazon also needs help with various HR roles. Depending on the company’s needs at the time, you might find postings for recruiters, business partners, and HR generalists. These roles have responsibilities like hiring, employee relations, and workforce planning.
At the time of this writing, most of the open HR positions are for some version of an employee relations manager. One posting supports Amazon and contractor teams that execute Amazon’s last mile delivery services. The role involves ensuring employees and contractors is fair, respectful, and consistent with Amazon’s core business values and objectives.
Facilities and Maintenance
Amazon’s facilities management and maintenance jobs involve keeping the company’s fulfillment centers and offices in tip-top shape. Amazon notes that its facilities are becoming more automated, but it needs people to help prevent possible issues and resolve any that arise. You will also help ensure everyone has the tools they need to do their jobs.
It might sound like this job would be in-person, but Amazon has several of these jobs posted as remote positions. Roles include facilities technicians, facilities specialists, and facilities area managers. Jobs can be anything from engineering roles to management positions.
Benefits of Working from Home with Amazon
An Amazon work-from-home position can have all kinds of benefits, like a flexible schedule, avoiding the daily commute, and better work-life balance. Some Amazon work-from-home jobs require you to be in a certain city or region. However, others may allow you to work from anywhere and set your own schedule. This will depend on the nature and responsibilities of the job.
Amazon’s job site says, “In some cases, we have roles that are fully remote, where team members work at home full-time.” So, it clearly values remote work. Below are more details about Amazon’s remote work benefits.
Work-life Balance
Maybe the biggest benefit of working remotely? Work-life balance. While there is no guarantee you will be able to set your own schedule, being able to avoid the daily commute is a huge benefit. Plus, you might be able to walk the dog a couple times a day. Not everyone likes being home all the time, but if you hate the commute, a remote job might be ideal.
Geographical Flexibility
As mentioned, some Amazon remote jobs require you to live in a certain city or metro. However, Amazon has remote jobs listed in a variety of cities and states, and sometimes even other countries. So, if you are looking for a move, you can check Amazon’s job board and see which remote jobs it has available in other places. This could allow you to move to a lower cost of living area or one with a warmer climate.
Competitive Pay and Benefits
Amazon’s remote jobs usually have a pay range posted. It says it considers the market location when setting pay, so having a low cost of living may not be as helpful as it is with freelance writing and other remote gigs where your location isn’t usually considered.
Still, the pay for Amazon remote jobs is competitive. And this is just base pay — these jobs might come with bonuses, stock options, and other forms of financial compensation.
And don’t forget benefits. These jobs usually include the same benefits as in-person jobs, such as health insurance, dental and vision, retirement plans, paid time off (PTO), etc.
Inclusion and Diversity
Remote jobs can be a boon to those who can’t make it into an office, such as people with disabilities. The ability to work from home allows these individuals to work in an environment that is equipped to meet their needs and in which they can be comfortable.
More broadly, allowing employees to work remotely means Amazon can attract people with different backgrounds and experience. This can lead to better inclusion and richer experience overall.
Requirements and Qualifications
If you want to work remotely for Amazon, you need to meet certain requirements. For instance, you should have a fast, reliable internet connection and computer with good performance.
There are other items you might consider, such as a multi-monitor setup or ergonomic keyboard. Also, you have some flexibility in what your work-from-home setup needs to be, but it must enable you to get the job done.
It’s also a good idea to have a dedicated workspace that you will only use for work. This will you allow you to be free from distractions and focus on your work. If you do video conferencing with co-workers or customers, you may want a professional backdrop so you can avoid using a virtual one.
How to Apply for Amazon Work-from-Home Jobs
If you are ready to work from Amazon from home, you’ll need to follow the right steps. Fortunately, the process is usually straightforward. Start by visiting Amazon’s Virtual Locations page where it posts its remote jobs.
Once there, you can apply for your preferred role. The process usually involves steps like submitting your resume and attending remote and/or in-person interviews.
There is no magic bullet for landing a remote job at Amazon. As usual, you need to be the right fit for the job. However, to get seen by the right people, try customizing your resume for the job, preparing for interviews in advance, and highlighting your relevant experience.
Getting a work-from-home job with Amazon may not be easy, but it’s definitely possible with the right skills and experience. If you find the right fit, you could be Amazon’s next remote employee.
