Warehouse shift differential: Amazon, UPS, FedEx, Target and Walmart

Typical Warehouse worker differentials

Ranges are the lowest and highest figures in the linked contracts, statutes and employer postings, not averages; your employer's rate is set by its own contract or policy. Figures reported only on Indeed or Reddit are described in the text as self-reported and never used in this table.

Price your own week

Preloaded with the national median wage and a mid-range differential from the table; change any field.

How overtime works for warehouse workers

Warehouse work is under the standard FLSA rule: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek (29 U.S.C. 207(a); DOL Fact Sheet #23), and no federal daily overtime, so a 12-hour peak shift is straight time until the week passes 40. California pays daily overtime at 1.5× after 8 hours and 2× after 12, plus seventh-day rules. The overtime rate must be the regular rate including the shift premium: DOL Fact Sheet #56C works the example of $15.00 an hour plus a $1.00 evening differential over 45 hours, giving a regular rate of $17.89, and 29 CFR 778.207(b) makes the inclusion mandatory. Union contracts can add daily overtime; the UPS national agreement pays overtime on Saturday and Sunday air work after 8 hours in a day as well as after 40 in the week.

What the big employers publish

Warehouse differentials are unusual in that the numbers come from job postings rather than contracts, and they vary by building. Target's DC posting for T3806 lists a shift differential ranging from $2.00 to $3.50 per hour. Walmart's Fort Worth distribution center posting lists premiums ranging from $0.35 per hour to $3.00 per hour. FedEx is the most specific: its Indianapolis handler posting pays $17.20 an hour plus a $2 day-shift premium, and $5.50 more for the 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. window; East Boston pays $20.58 plus a $3 premium for 4 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Amazon publishes no figure. Its shifts page says night, early-morning and weekend shifts earn more per hour and that weekend shifts may have a higher pay rate, without a number. Self-reported answers on Indeed put Amazon's PM differential between $0.50 and $2.50 an hour depending on site. UPS's National Master Agreement (2023–28) sets a part-time start rate of $21.00 and no national night or Sunday premium; anything extra comes from a regional supplement.

On the BLS median of $19.35 for hand laborers and material movers, a $2.00 differential is a 10% raise for night hours and FedEx's $5.50 is 28%. Because the premium is attached to a window, the difference between a shift that starts at 10 p.m. and one that starts at midnight can be several dollars an hour; the posting usually names the window.

Holidays, peak season and weekends

Holiday pay is set locally. The UPS Central Region Supplement pays double the regular hourly rate for all hours worked on a holiday. Amazon's is self-reported on Indeed as 8 hours of holiday pay plus time and a half for hours worked; treat that as unverified. Target, Walmart and FedEx postings do not state a holiday rate.

Peak season is where the differential earns its keep. A 50-hour week at $19.35 with a $2.00 night premium on every hour has a regular rate of $21.35, so the 10 overtime hours pay $32.03 each rather than $29.03; the overtime pay calculator prices any week like that. Weekend shifts at Amazon may pay more, but the company publishes no rate, and UPS's Saturday and Sunday air work is straight time with overtime after 8 hours in the day.

Negotiating and checking your paystub

Warehouse differentials are set per building; these are the questions that find the real number.

• —Ask for the differential and its window for your specific building and shift; Target's $2.00 to $3.50 range and Walmart's $0.35 to $3.00 both depend on the site.
• —Check whether the premium is paid on every hour of the shift or only inside the window; FedEx's $5.50 is for 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• —In an overtime week, the overtime rate should be 1.5× your premium-loaded average, not 1.5× base; DOL Fact Sheet #56C shows the math.
• —If an employer says nights earn more without a figure, ask for it in writing before you accept the shift.

FAQ

Sources

1. BLS OES Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand (53-7062), May 2025 national median
2. Target DC T3806 warehouse operations posting
3. Walmart Fort Worth DC freight handler posting
4. FedEx Indianapolis handler/warehouse posting
5. FedEx East Boston material handler posting
6. Amazon hiring: shifts and schedules
7. Teamsters / UPS National Master Agreement 2023–28, Art. 22 and 40
8. Teamsters / UPS Central Region Supplement, Art. 15
9. DOL Fact Sheet #23: overtime pay requirements
10. DOL Fact Sheet #56C: bonuses and the regular rate
11. 29 CFR 778.207: shift differentials in the regular rate
12. California DIR overtime FAQ
13. Indeed Q&A, Amazon PM shift differential (self-reported)
14. Indeed Q&A, Amazon holiday pay (self-reported)

BLS medians are the May 2025 national OES estimates. Contract figures are as written in the linked agreements on the date above; check the current agreement for your employer. Last reviewed 2026-08-27.