A place to build your resume and leave after 2 years - Software Development Engineer II Amazon Employee Review

2.0
2 May 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

* Super smart people * Lots of things to learn

Cons

* Bad work-life balance * unpaid oncall and extra hours * unrealistic expectations from employees * extreme operational load. Too little software engineering, and too much of dealing with fires in legacy systems. * management is too focused on deliver results and frugality, and not in any other leadership principle. If you show good ownership or high standards, that won't matter in your performance review. * management doesn't care about your career path, and your own interests. You'll be assigned tasks that don't motivate you forever, because people with more tenure in the team will be able to finish "interesting tasks" faster. * Performance reviews are not fair: you might get bad performance just because someone needs to get it, even if you meet all the required criteria for a good performance * Compensation adjustment is not fair: you'll find people in the exact same position and team as you, who were hired some months later, and they earn between 10% and 35% more. Even if you have the maximum performance possible, your increase in one year won't be more than 5%, so you will need to be working 10 hours per day for 5 years to reach the same compensation. * no flexibility in terms of time off: management will reject petitions to work from another city/country, take more than 2 weeks in a row of vacation, or change oncall shifts to allow you to travel. * very little perks compared to other tech companies (no food, no gym, small discount, almost nothing can be expensed) * for a place that calls itself inclusive, there are less than 10 women, and no black people in a team of ~100.

Explore other reviews about Amazon

5.0
23 Jan 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
10 Jan 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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