Full-time RVers often find themselves looking for ways to work while on the road. One option is to be an Amazon CamperForce employee. It’s a unique workamping opportunity that allows RVers to earn an income seasonally while embracing the RV lifestyle. Find out how to apply, when to apply, pay scale, what a typical week looks like and so much more.
Please note that this article is based on the Amazon CamperForce website and my interview with 2 Moms and a Trailer.
What is Amazon CamperForce?
Every year Amazon hires full-time RVers for seasonal assignments at their facilities throughout the USA.
The assignments are:
- Peak Season
- Includes the Holiday Season that typically runs from September to Christmas
- Return Season
- Includes Post-Holiday season that typically runs from After Christmas to March
Workampers are paid an hourly rate, work overtime, get an RV park stipend, and are eligible for an end-of-season bonus.
Individuals hired through the CamperForce program are required to live in their RV for the duration of their contract and stay in an RV park or campground.
What Kind of Jobs Will I be Doing?
Workamping at Amazon usually means working in a warehouse.
Each facility has a variety of jobs functions including but not limited to:
- Picking
- Packing
- Stowing
- Sorting
- Receiving
- Handling packages between trucks and operating powered industrial trucks (PIT equipment)
- ICQA (Inventory Control & Quality Assurance)
Do I get to Choose My Hours and Shifts?
As an Amazon CamperForce employee, you can choose to work full-time and part-time.
You can request a day shift and specific days on and off, but you might not get them. Alumni (workampers returning for another season) and regular Amazon workers get first dibs on shifts. Each facility has different needs and shifts will be dependent on demand.
Extenuating circumstances are taken into consideration. For example, if you need to work during the day because of health reasons or if you have children that cannot be left unattended overnight, etc.
What Does a Typical Workweek Look Like?
Full-Timers:
- When it’s slow the workweek is 40 hours (4 x 10 hour days).
- At peak, full-timers are required to work overtime at 50 hours (5 x 10 hour days).
- RVers working full-time have the option (during peak) of working up to 60 hour weeks (6 x 10 hour days or 5 x 12 hour days).
Part-Timers:
- During slow and peak, part-time workampers are required to work 20 hour weeks.
- At peak, RVers working part-time can work 30 hours per week.
- If available, part-timers can volunteer for additional hours (Voluntary Extra Time).
NOTE: Your actual shift and number of hours worked will be dependent on what the company needs at the facility where you have been assigned.
Example: Potential Shifts, Hours, and Days Off
| Shift Length | Days Worked | Days Off | Total Hours Worked | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FT – Regular | 10 hours | 4 | 3 | 40 |
| FT – Peak | 10 hours | 5 | 2 | 50 |
| 10 hours | 6 | 1 | 60 | |
| 12 hours | 5 | 2 | 60 | |
| PT* – Regular | 4 hours | 5 | 2 | 20 |
| PT* – Peak | 10 hours | 3 | 4 | 30 |
How Much Does Amazon CamperForce Pay?
Amazon pays its employees a minimum of $15 per hour and that is paid out weekly.
In addition to an hourly wage, employees receive “CampPay”, a weekly allowance to pay for campsite fees. CampPay is available to all workamping employees, both full-time and part-time, and is taxable income.
Employees are also eligible for overtime pay and an end-of-season bonus. The end-of-season bonus is paid once the season is over and on the last paycheck. It is $0.50 for each regular hour worked and $1.00 for each overtime hour worked. If an individual does not work the entire season, they do not receive the end-of-season bonus.
| Pay | Amount | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Starting | $15 minimum | Hourly rate Paid weekly |
| Overtime | Time and a Half | Weekly after 40 hours |
| Bonus | $0.50 for each regular hour worked and $1.00 for each overtime hours worked | Paid on last paycheck |
| CampPay* | $120 | Weekly |
What Benefits Does Amazon Offer?
Beyond CampPay and an end-of-season bonus, employees are eligible for:
- Medical and prescription coverage after 90 days
- 401(k)
- Referral Bonus
Workers injured on the job will receive medical attention and services at no expense.
Where is Amazon CamperForce Located?
As of 2021, the following locations had assignments:
- Kent, Washington
- Troutdale, Oregon
- Hillsboro, Oregon
- Aurora, Colorado
- Denver, Colorado
- Goodyear, Arizona
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Redlands, California
- Rialto, California
- Kenosha, Wisconsin
- Robbinsville Township, New Jersey
- Logan Township, New Jersey
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Sparrows Point, Maryland
- Bondurant, Iowa
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Hebron, Kentucky
- Lexington, Kentucky
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee
- Charleston, Tennessee
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Newnan, Georgia
- Horn Lake, Mississippi
- Houston, Texas
When you apply, you can select a location, however, some locations are more competitive than others and fill up faster. You might not get your first choice.
Do I Have to Find My Own Campsite?
In the past, Amazon would contract with campgrounds and RV parks near their facilities. Workampers simply showed up to the park and set up camp. Amazon paid a flat $550 each month to the RV park. If the RV site cost more than that, RVers were responsible for paying the difference.
Now workers must find their own campsites and make all the arrangements including reservations, deposits (if and when required), and monthly payments.
NOTE: CampPay is a stipend paid out to each worker to cover campsite fees, however, it is the responsibility of the individual to pay the campground directly and to cover any additional campsite fees not covered by the stipend.
When and Where can I Apply for Amazon CamperForce?
Applications open in March of every year. Returning workers (those that have worked the previous season) can apply a week before everyone else.
All applications (full-time and part-time) are processed through this website: https://www.amazondelivers.jobs/about/camperforce/
What is the Application Process Like?
- Go to the Amazon CamperForce Website in March
- Watch the Virtual New Hire Event Video
- Apply via the website
- Virtual job tryout
- Watch the 30-minute Virtual Job Preview
- Background Check
- Complete Drug Test
- Watch the Online New Hire Orientation
- You’ll get an email letting you know when you start and your schedule
Is it True That you can Walk up to 10 Miles a day During a Typical Shift?
It’s true!! It’s actually possible to walk even more on a super busy 10-hour (or even 12-hour) shift. Since you’ll be walking so much, make sure you have good shoes and some folks even recommend having pain medicine to handle soreness.
Their motto is “Work Hard. Have Fun. Make History” so no one should be surprised that it’s going to be hard work.
“Amazon welcomes you in with a bowl full of bandaids, and Biofreeze, and some Advil” says Shay Martinez-Machen from 2 Moms and a Trailer.
What’s Amazon CamperForce Like for Families with Kids?
Most CamperForce workers do not have kids. The families that do have children typically have either only one parent working or both parents working opposite shifts. There is always a struggle to juggle that work-life balance and long hours and physical work in a warehouse environment only intensify the struggle.
During the holiday season “we’re not focusing too much on that book work and sitting down. It’s more about your experiences” says Martinez-Machen. She adds “After Amazon ends we usually have enough money to just kind of take off for the next two to three months and then we are really able to finish up the school year with a bang and go on a vacation.”
Is There a Sense of Community for Amazon CamperForce Employees?
Yes! The RV community is strong no matter where we gather. Workampers get to gather for lunch breaks, get together for potlucks, plan afterhours campfires, and can often identify one another with exclusive CamperForce t-shirts.
Will I Have any Free Time While Workamping at Amazon?
Although full-time seasonal employees are expected to work overtime, you will still have days off. During peak season, full-time workers can work between 50 and 60 hours each week (10 or 12-hour shifts) depending on demand and location and typically have at least one day off.
Final Thoughts
I hope this article helped you get a feel for what it’s like to be an Amazon CamperForce employee. Is it right for you and your RV lifestyle?
You can find out more about Amazon CamperForce at the following locations:
* https://www.amazondelivers.jobs/about/camperforce/
* ‘Nomadland’ spotlights Amazon’s RV workforce — here’s what it’s really like
If you don’t feel like this is a good fit for you, check out the article “How to Make Money While RVing” for more workamper options.
Don’t forget to follow my friends at 2 Moms and a Trailer to get real-life information about workamping and full-time RV living.
