The free Prime membership, however, is exclusive to front-line workers, the company told Fortune. Corporate employees will still need to shell out the full amount to buy their own subscriptions. However, all employees, both logistics and corporate, will continue to receive 10% off Amazon merchandise, up to a maximum discount of $100 per year.

The company will spend over $2.2 billion on the hikes that will take the base salaries of hourly workers to more than $22 an hour, and more than $29 an hour including benefits. Amazon's decision comes as one of the biggest employers in the U.