Amazon employees enjoy a number of benefits. Since Amazon is one of the fastest growing employers across the US, it stands to reason that the amenities of their work environment should be up-to-snuff. That being said, is it possible to take paid time off at Amazon?
This article will explain when and how Amazon allows its employees to take paid time off. We’ll also go over some details such as how much PTO Amazon allows each year, and whether or not PTO allotments expire after a certain amount of time.
Do You Get Paid Time Off At Amazon?
Yes, Full-Time Amazon employees at Amazon get 5 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) while part-time employees start with 2.5 days off. This increases over time to a maximum of 15 days PTO for full-time employees and 7.5 days for part-time employees.
if you want to learn more about Amazon and PTO, keep reading…

What Is Paid Time Off (PTO)?
Paid Time Off is time that you get paid for when you do not work. Companies give PTO to allow employees some flexibility and comfort in their schedule. Typically, paid time off is accrued at the end of each pay period. At Amazon, hourly workers and salaried workers both earn annualized PTO based on how much they work.
According to the Amazon Jobs page, eligibility for paid time off is based on which employment class they fall under (part time, reduced time, or full time). The amount you are eligible for is based on how many hours per week you work, and how long you have been with the company.
Obviously, salaried employees also receive paid time off, but the amounts accrued are slightly different from hourly employees. However, the amount you receive as a salaried employee is still based on the amount of hours you work in a week. You’ll get more details on this later in the article.
Amazon employees are also entitled to “personal time”. This is like vacation time or paid time off, except it is simply time meant for the employee to take a break from work, rather than specifically for a vacation from the workplace. Both vacation time and personal time are lost at the end of the year if the employee does not use them.
How Much PTO Does Amazon Give A Year?
s stated above, paid time off is dependent on how many hours an employee works in a week. Employees start off being eligible for around 20 hours of PTO per year. This amount increases based on how many years you have been with the company:
- Part time employees (20-29 hours per week) earn 20 hours of PTO, or about 2.5 days. This increases over time and maxes out at 60 hours, or 7.5 days after 6 years.
- Reduced time employees (30-39 hours per week) Earn 30 hours, or about 3.75 days. This increases over time and maxes out at 90 hours, or 11.25 days after 6 years.
- Full time employees (40+ hours per week) earn 40 hours, or about 5 days. This increases to 120 hours, or 15 days after 6 years.
These rates are annualized, and paid time off is accrued on a per-pay-period basis. Some locations, such as California, have different eligibility requirements for paid time off, so this information might not match exactly what is allowed in your area.
As mentioned before, salaried employees also earn paid time off. However, they are allowed slightly different times than hourly employees. The allotment is still varied according to the amount of hours worked:
- Part time salaried workers earn 40 hours of paid time off, or about 5 days. This increases up to 80 hours, or ten days after 6 years.
- Reduced time salaried workers earn 60 hours, or about 7.5 days. This increases to 120 hours, or 15 days after 6 years.
- Full time salaried workers earn 80 hours, or about 10 days. This increases to 160 hours, or 20 days after 6 years.
Amazon also grants its employees “personal time”. This is basically just another type of paid time off meant to allow employees to take a break from their work. Like PTO, personal time is granted based on amount of hours worked:
- Part time employees get 24 hours of personal time, or about 3 days.
- Reduced time employees get 36 hours, or about 4.5 days.
- Full time employees get 48 hours, or about 6 days.
Unlike PTO, the amount of personal time you earn is not affected by how long you have been with the company. Salaried and hourly workers earn the same amount of personal time. Sick time is also granted to employees based on “local, city, and state ordinances”.
Once again, these values will be different in different locations. In particular, the accruement rates in California are different. Check out Amazon’s employee benefits page for more information.
Does Amazon PTO Expire?
When planning to take some time off from your job, it can be a bit confusing whether previously unused PTO rolls over to the next period. Amazon does not allow employees to “roll over” their paid time off. This means that if you do not use your vacation time or PTO, they will be lost.
That being said, Amazon also allows employees to take seven paid holidays throughout each year, independent of their PTO or vacation time:
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
If you’re working for Amazon outside of the US, these vacation days may vary. If you want more information, you will have to inquire at your local office to find out what the local vacation days are.
Does Amazon Allow Leaves Of Absence?
Certain eligible employees at Amazon are able to take leaves of absence due to a number of reasons. These will vary by region and employment type, but generally employees are allowed to take time off for birth of a child, death of a family member, military related obligations, or jury/witness duty. These leaves of absence may or may not be paid depending on the details of your situation.
Hopefully this article has cleared up some of the details about Amazon’s paid time off policies. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask away in the comments section.
Want to learn more about working at Amazon? Check out these related posts to learn how long does Amazon background check take and do Amazon employees get a discount?
Conclusion
Full-Time Amazon employees start with 6 days of PTO and up to 20 days of vacation while part time employees get 2.5 days of PTO.
The amount of PTO increases year over year with Amazon, up to 15 days of PTO, once you’re with them for 6 years or more.