How Much Does Amazon Make? A Breakdown Per Second, Minute, Hour & Day
To quickly summarize:
- Amazon makes around $7,300 per second
- That comes out to about $443,000 per minute
- Or $26.6 million per hour
- Adding up to $638 million per day
- And a whopping $232.9 billion per year
Let‘s dive into the nitty gritty details on how much revenue the ecommerce giant rakes in across various time increments.
As an experienced Amazon seller, I‘ve seen firsthand just how massive and powerful this company is. But it‘s still mind-blowing to see the cold hard numbers behind Amazon‘s earning power laid out.
In this in-depth guide, we‘ll explore:
- How much Amazon makes per second, minute, hour and day
- Jeff Bezos‘ insane earnings as CEO
- Revenue stats from Amazon Prime Day events
- Where all this money comes from – Amazon‘s key revenue streams
- Demographic stats on who‘s buying everything on Amazon
- And more Amazon by the numbers!
Let‘s get to it.
Just How Much Does Amazon Make in a Day?
As one of the largest companies on earth by revenue, Amazon raked in a staggering $232.9 billion in total last year.
To put into perspective just how massive that number is:
- Amazon generates more revenue in a single day than many companies do in an entire year!
Breaking it down:
- Amazon earns approximately $19.4 billion per month
- Which equates to $4.4 billion per week
- And around $638 million generated each day
Said another way:
- In the time it takes me to write this sentence, Amazon has already earned over $7,000 in revenue.
Really demonstrates the unprecedented scale of Amazon‘s sales volumes.
Now let‘s get into the specifics on how much Amazon pulls in per second, minute and hour.
How Much Does Amazon Make Per Second?
As an experienced Amazon seller, I rely heavily on tools like Jungle Scout to analyze demand, trends and competitors across this massive marketplace.
According to the latest Jungle Scout data, here is what Amazon is estimated to bring in for:
- Per second revenue: $7,100
- Per minute revenue: $426,000
- Per hour revenue: $25.6 million
To put the per second figure into context:
- The average US household income is around $87,864 per year
- Amazon makes more in one second than the typical US family makes in an entire day.
Now let‘s compare it to what the average Amazon employee earns:
- The average Amazon worker earns around $30,000 per year.
- For that worker to earn what Amazon makes in a single minute, they would need to work over 14 years straight without any days off.
This really demonstrates the vast divide between Amazon the company and individual Amazon employees.
In fact, let‘s take a closer look at how much the man at the very top makes…
How Much Does Jeff Bezos Earn Per Minute?
Jeff Bezos is currently the second richest man in the world, thanks primarily to his position as founder and CEO of Amazon.
Here is a breakdown of how much Bezos earns per minute:
- Jeff Bezos net worth: $167 billion (Bloomberg Billionaire Index)
- Per minute: approximately $149,353 (calculated based on net worth growth over last 5 years per Forbes)
Let‘s put Bezos‘ mind-boggling earnings into perspective:
- The average Amazon worker would need to work non-stop for over 500,000 hours (over 57 years) just to earn what Jeff Bezos makes in 60 minutes.
- The median per capita income in the U.S. is around $35,000 per year. Bezos earns around 3 times more per minute than the average U.S. worker makes in an entire 12 months.
So while Amazon the company is generating massive revenues, its CEO is accumulating an even more insane fortune.
Prime Day Revenue Hits New Highs Each Year
Amazon Prime Day has quickly become one of the biggest annual sales events.
Here‘s a look at total estimated revenue from each Prime Day event since it began in 2015:
| Year | Prime Day Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $900 million |
| 2016 | $1.5 billion |
| 2017 | $2.4 billion |
| 2018 | $4.2 billion |
| 2019 | $7.16 billion |
| 2020 | $10.4 billion |
| 2021 | $11.2 billion |
Some more key stats on Prime Day results:
- In 2021, over 250 million items were sold worldwide during the 2-day shopping event.
- Prime members saved an estimated $1.4 billion on deals.
- Top selling categories included Tools, Beauty, Electronics and Home.
 |
|---|
| Prime Day Revenue Over Time – Source: Brandes |
Prime Day is a huge win for Amazon – it attracts new Prime subscribers, keeps current users engaged, and pulls in billions in sales.
How Does Amazon Make All This Money?
As an experienced seller, I‘ve utilized many of Amazon‘s varied services and products that contribute to their $232 billion in annual revenue.
Here‘s a breakdown of Amazon‘s main money makers:
Online Marketplace
Amazon‘s core platform is their online marketplace available at Amazon.com. This marketplace brings in the lion‘s share of Amazon‘s revenue.
Some key stats:
- Over 350 million products available
- Over 12 million products sold directly by Amazon
- Around 2.5 million active third party sellers worldwide
- Third party seller services contributed $83 billion in 2021, representing 36% of total revenues
As an Amazon seller myself, I can confirm that Amazon makes selling incredibly easy. But the ease comes at a cost – Amazon‘s commissions and fees for sellers are high.
Physical Stores
While starting as only an online retailer, Amazon now operates brick-and-mortar stores including:
- Amazon Go – checkout free convenience stores
- Amazon Fresh – grocery stores
- Whole Foods Market – acquired by Amazon in 2017 for $13.7 billion
- Amazon Style – Amazon‘s new in-person fashion stores
Amazon leverages its stores to promote cross-selling. For example, Prime members get discounts at Whole Foods to encourage more grocery delivery through Amazon.
Subscriptions
Recurring subscription revenue allows for predictable, scalable growth.
Amazon Prime is a standout example. Prime quickly became "the most loved membership program in the world" according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.
Some stats on Amazon‘s subscription services:
- Over 200 million Prime members globally as of Sept 2021
- Prime members spend an average of $1,400 per year compared to $600 per year for non-members.
- 72% of Prime members shop on Amazon at least twice per month.
- 91% of Prime members plan to renew their membership.
I‘ve been an Amazon Prime member myself for years. The convenience is unbeatable. Once you have Prime, you‘ll likely never shop anywhere else.
Digital Media
Amazon leverages its reach and technology to dominate across digital media categories:
Kindle E-Readers
- Over 90% market share of e-readers
- 155 million ebooks sold in 2020
Amazon Prime Video
- 175 million subscribers globally
- SECOND largest video subscription after Netflix
Amazon Music
- Around 55 million subscribers
- THIRD largest music streamer after Spotify and Apple Music
Twitch.tv
- Largest streaming platform for gamers
- Acquired by Amazon in 2014 for $970 million
So whether you like reading, watching, listening or playing, Amazon has you covered.
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Many don‘t realize that Amazon is also a major player in cloud computing with AWS.
Some details on AWS:
- Accounted for 13% of Amazon‘s total revenue in 2021
- Generated over $62 billion in the last 12 months
- 33% market share in cloud computing services
- Continues rapid growth at 37% YOY
AWS provides cloud services to major customers like Netflix, Intuit, Expedia and more. This diversification beyond retail helps ensure continued growth.
Who is Buying All This Stuff on Amazon?
With over 300 million active shoppers worldwide, Amazon‘s customer base is massive and diverse.
But there are still some clear commonalities in the typical Amazon shopper demographic and psychographic profiles.
Demographics
Let‘s look at the gender, age, income and other demographic stats:
Gender
- 51% female
- 49% male
Pretty evenly split along gender lines.
Age
- 18-29 years old: 30%
- 30-44 years old: 35%
- 45-60 years old: 25%
- Over 60 years old: 10%
So around 65% of shoppers are between 18 and 44 years old.
Income
- 29% earn less than $50,000
- 34% earn $50,000 – $100,000
- 37% earn over $100,000
The broad income distribution shows Amazon appeals to all income levels. But the sweet spot is consumers earning between $50k – $100k.
Other Demographics
- 57% have blue collar jobs
- 55% have families
- 35% have a college degree
- 80% own homes
Psychographics
As a seller, I also like to analyze the psychographic traits that tend to characterize Amazon shoppers:
Convenience – Amazon shoppers value speed, simplicity and instant gratification. Amazon Prime caters directly to these needs.
Price – They look for the best deals. Tools like CamelCamelCamel help shoppers ensure they never overpay.
Selection – Amazon‘s vast product selection caters to variety seekers. Shoppers know Amazon will have what niche item they‘re seeking.
Innovation – Early tech adopters drive Amazon‘s growth in new categories like smart home devices.
Reviews – Ratings and reviews build shopper trust in Amazon products. The emphasis on customer feedback sets Amazon apart.
Understanding these psychographic factors helps me optimize my Amazon listings and brand for success on the platform.
Amazon Keeps Getting Bigger
In this guide, we‘ve explored:
- How much money Amazon rakes in per second, minute, hour and day
- Just how much its CEO Jeff Bezos earns per minute
- The expanding revenue from Amazon Prime events
- Where Amazon‘s cash comes from – marketplace, subscriptions, digital media, cloud services
- Who‘s buying everything on Amazon
The key takeaway? Amazon is an unstoppable revenue machine.
It‘s scary for sellers, but as Amazon grows, the opportunity does too. With the right optimization and innovation, savvy sellers can thrive sharing in this ecommerce giant‘s momentum.
The next time you click "Buy Now" on Amazon, remember the cash you just helped rake in for this unrivaled retail behemoth! It seems nothing can stop Amazon‘s upward trajectory.
