Amazon employees

Amazon Technical Academy trains Amazon employees in the U.S. with the skills needed to become entry-level Software Development Engineers (SDE) in as little as nine months. Tuition is free and participants are paid to learn.

Amazon Technical Academy is committed to selecting participants from diverse backgrounds and experiences across gender, race and ethnicity, nationality, religion, physical ability, sexual orientation, military status, education, previous work, and more.

Eligibility requirements

Amazon Technical Academy accepts applications from regular full-time or reduced-time Amazon employees in good performance standing who have at least 12 months of blue badge tenure by the time classes start. Applicants must have a GED or high school diploma. All applicants must have valid unrestricted work authorization throughout the entire 9-month training.

Learn more about all eligibility requirements.

Please note: Amazon does not provide any immigration support or sponsorship for the participation in this training program. All applicants must have valid unrestricted work authorization throughout the entire 9-month training. Current Amazon visa sponsored employees and employees in F-1 visa status are not eligible to participate.

How to apply

The full online application process includes timed tests to measure your reasoning abilities and knowledge of Java fundamentals. Amazon Technical Academy offers study guides, sample questions, and other resources for the assessments so you can prepare.

Successful applicants

If you are accepted to Amazon Technical Academy, you would have to leave your current Amazon position and internally transfer to ATA. Your current pay is replaced with a standard hourly rate for ATA Participants. If applicable, your previously awarded signing payments will continue to be paid, and RSUs will continue to vest. Your Amazon Benefits elections will remain the same.

Classes are held virtually during the nine-month program. However, employees may need to relocate once they move to their SDE roles.

Learn more and see full details on the ATA internal program on the ATA Employee Portal.

Real-world education

ATA teaches topics as they apply to software engineering at Amazon. Participants complete real-world projects to demonstrate proficiency of the material.

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Operations associates

We have trained operations associates through the program and employees in all roles are encouraged to apply.

Where the jobs are

SDEs typically work in Seattle, Arlington, the Bay Area, Boston, Dallas, Austin, Nashville, New York City, and Minneapolis.

If you have to move

Amazon Technical Academy will pay relocation costs if you need to move for your SDE role.

I am amazed at what I learned in just under a year. I expected it to be fast-paced (and it was), but there was so much support throughout that it was not hard to keep up.

Courtney, ATA grad and current Amazon Software Development Engineer

Frequently asked questions

What are the eligibility requirements for Amazon employees interested in Amazon Technical Academy?

Amazon Technical Academy accepts applications from regular full-time (class F) or regular reduced-time (class R) Amazon employees in good performance standing who have at least 12 consecutive months of blue badge tenure by the time classes start. Applicants must have a GED or high school diploma. All applicants must have valid unrestricted work authorization throughout the entire 9-month training. More information on our eligibility requirements can be found on our Employee Portal.

How does Amazon Technical Academy select applicants?

ATA is committed to selecting participants from diverse backgrounds and experiences. We assess applicants’ logical reasoning ability via a series of assessments, and foundational Java skills via the Technical Assessment. We also consider employment history, performance standing, and general program eligibility to make admissions decisions. We do not consider formal academic or technical qualifications. We encourage employees from all educational backgrounds and job levels to apply for ATA even if you have no formal technical training.

Do I need to have coding experience in order to apply?

Any employee who meets our basic eligibility requirements is welcome to apply to Amazon Technical Academy, even if you’ve never written a line of code. Applicants who move forward in our process will, however, be asked to demonstrate a foundational knowledge of Java during the application process, and will be offered our free, self-service Prerequisite Course to gain this knowledge.

What roles are available for successful Amazon Technical Academy graduates?

Amazon Technical Academy equips participants with the skills needed to become an entry-level Software Development Engineer (SDE) at Amazon. Near the end of the nine months of class, ATA participants are assessed for their readiness to become a full-time entry-level SDE. Participants who excel in the assessment may join Amazon development teams as either an SDE-I or through a paid on-the-job training program with an Amazon technical team to apply the skills they’ve developed during instructor-led training.

SDEs are found throughout most organizations within Amazon. This means you could work anywhere from Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Alexa to the technology teams that support the World Wide Operations Network.

I’m already in a tech role. Is Amazon Technical Academy a good fit for me?

Amazon Technical Academy is designed to train non-technical Amazon employees with the skills needed to become SDEs, but successful ATA graduates have also included support techs and other technical employees. Depending on your role, you may have already learned some of the things ATA would teach. Consider the extent to which your job has already exposed you to material taught by ATA, and whether your career goals allow taking time away from your current role to attend. You may be able to work with your manager to ensure you get the right experiences to eventually transition to a SDE-I role without entering ATA.

What if I am not admitted to Amazon Technical Academy? Do I have other options?

If you are not admitted to Amazon Technical Academy’s internal program, you are welcome to reapply in a future admissions cycle. Employees can also explore other Amazon upskilling programs here.

Note that ATA isn’t affiliated with other upskilling programs at Amazon and cannot provide additional information. If you have questions about other upskilling opportunities, please contact those programs directly.