Good pay, bad culture - Senior User Experience Designer Amazon Employee Review

3.0
Jun 1, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The pay is very good at low/mid-level positions. That's the main pro. However, the stock vesting timeline is very imbalanced, compared to similar companies. Also, there's a base pay cap company-wide of like 160k, so if you get hired or promoted to higher-level positions that should pay more than that, you're just promised more future stock vesting on a very slow timeline. Stock vesting schedule: Of the total number of shares promised to you in your job offer, you get 5% after your first year, 15% after 2nd, and then 20% every 6 months till you finish your 4th year. It seems like they're relying on people quitting within the first year or two, so they can save money. The other pro is, since it's common knowledge that people don't like working at Amazon, it looks good as an accomplishment on your resume. Oh, one more thing - since there are so many orgs and teams, if you get sick of yours in particular, there are always openings in completely different parts of the company, which you can apply for. You still need to go through the whole interview process for internal transfers, but if you don't want to leave before you've vested your stocks, it's a good way of changing the scenery without leaving.

Cons

If you have any morals, it's very difficult to deal with the conflicted feelings of working at a company that does so much unethical stuff. Besides that, A) workload can be unreasonable, B) you may find yourself working with proud Amazon super-soldiers who will get mad at you for not wanting to dedicate your entire life to make the company a few more million dollars, C) every org and team in the company operates differently, so it's very hard to know what working there will actually be like - it'll depend strongly on who your manager is, D) it's an extremely political environment (office politics, that is), with lots of bureaucracy, and everyone's really scared of people at higher levels than they are. Everyone turns into yes-men in front of their managers, and even more so for people above them. No one's capable of honestly disagreeing with dumb ideas, which leads to a lot of wasted time and effort.

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5.0
Jan 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Working as a Data Center Engineering Operations (DCEO) technician at AWS has been an incredibly fulfilling experience. Every day, I know that my work directly supports the infrastructure that powers services used by millions of customers worldwide—from Netflix streaming to NASA processing Mars rover images. What makes this role special is the sense of ownership and responsibility. DCEO technicians are truly the heartbeat of the data center, maintaining the critical power, cooling, and life safety systems that keep AWS running at 99.999% uptime. The mission is clear: be stealthy in action and swift in recovery, solving problems before they impact customers. The technical challenges keep the work engaging. Whether I'm monitoring building management systems, responding to alarms, managing preventative maintenance programs, or coordinating with vendors, there's always something new to learn. The role demands both hands-on technical skills and critical thinking, which makes every shift dynamic and rewarding. AWS invests heavily in training and development. The comprehensive onboarding process, detailed standard operating procedures, and access to subject matter experts across Field Engineering and other support teams ensure you're never alone in solving complex problems. The emphasis on safety is genuine—leadership truly prioritizes that everyone goes home in the same condition they arrived. Working alongside dedicated teams like DCO, Infrastructure Delivery, and Logistics creates a collaborative environment where everyone understands how their role contributes to the bigger picture. The 24/7 nature of the work means building strong relationships with your shift team, and there's real camaraderie in knowing you're all working toward the same critical mission. For anyone who enjoys hands-on technical work, values operational excellence, and wants to be part of maintaining world-class infrastructure at global scale, DCEO at AWS offers a challenging and meaningful career path.

Cons

Time constraints, and demands can be overwhelming.

5.0
Jan 10, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Really smart people, a lot of opportunity for growth, always encouraged to be innovative, think big, and create something new. Competitive salary and benefits with other major tech companies. 100% self motivating work environment. No dress code and 4 legged friends are welcome.

Cons

You have to be self motivated. NO ONE will hold your hand and tell you that you're doing a great job. If you need constant affirmations from management, this company isn't for you.

3159
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