How to Move from Amazon to Google

By Kannika Peña on January 14, 2025 How we wrote this article

person thinking about transitioning from amazon to google

If you’re considering moving from Amazon to Google, you’re following a well-trodden path: research we did around how to break into product management suggests that around 10% of Googlers have previously worked at Amazon.

But switching from Amazon to Google can be tricky to navigate. How do you know if it’s the right career decision for you? And if it is, how can you make it happen?

In this article, we’ll try to answer these questions and give you a few tips to help get you started on this big career move.

Here’s an overview of what we’ll cover:

Is Amazon or Google a better place to work?
How hard is it to transfer from Amazon to Google?
Tips on how to move from Amazon to Google

Let’s get started!

1. Is Amazon or Google a better place to work?↑

Amazon and Google are each other’s biggest competitors, both directly and indirectly. Some of their products like cloud computing (Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform) are in direct competition. Others like Google Search and Amazon e-commerce may not be the same service but both are competing for online product search.

Based on these, you can assume the two companies share a lot in common. But they’re quite different in a lot of ways, too. And it’s up to you to decide which is the better place for you to work.

You should definitely do your own research. Based on the insights we’ve gathered online from people who’ve worked at Amazon and Google, here’s how the two companies compare:

Google is better for:

Inclusivity
Work-life balance
Prestige
Compensation and perks
Flexible working arrangements

Amazon is better for:

Growth opportunities

Let’s take a closer look.

1.1 Google is better for:

Inclusivity

Amazon and Google have well-documented company cultures that are quite different from each other.

According to Amazon senior principal engineer (and ex-Googler) Carlos Arguelles, with Amazon’s strongly defined culture, some personality types may find that they do not thrive in it.

Compared to Amazon, Google’s culture is much looser and therefore feels more inclusive for different personalities.

Work-life balance

Based on Glassdoor surveys, Google’s work-life balance is rated 4.2, while Amazon’s is rated 3.2.

According to John Miller, a software engineer who’s worked at both companies, Google gives better benefits and therefore encourages better work-life balance: “more vacation, more standard holidays, more leave for personal events, better sick leave, better support for a family.”

Amazon, on the other hand, offers less flexibility in terms of hours and even work location with their return-to-office (RTO) policy. Some roles like engineers are on-call and expected to work overtime. The company also offers fewer paid time off (PTO). If you’re a full-time employee at the California campus, for instance, you get 15 days in your first year. To earn 25 PTO days, you’ll have to work at Amazon for at least 6 years.

Prestige

It’s no secret that Google is a much more prestigious company than Amazon. It’s also harder to get into and pays more, as we’ll discuss below.

Part of the prestige of Google is all the perks associated with working there: great-looking office spaces, subsidized cafeterias, fitness centers and classes, among many others. Amazon does not provide any such perks, in keeping with frugality as one of its company values.

Another aspect that may also contribute to Google’s prestige for software engineers, at least, is that it’s an engineering- and product-led company, while Amazon is more business-driven.

For this reason, it’s hard to get products out fast at Google. You first have to present your idea in a design review and have it approved before you can start working. This often means it takes longer to get things done, but ensures a high-quality product.

Still, Google can afford to be less cautious in its innovation approach because of its huge margins -– another reason for its prestige over Amazon.

“Amazon is very disciplined and thorough when coming up with new ideas, while Google just tries things out and hopes they work. Google can afford to do that, and it works out overall – but Google’s approach is not transferable without Google’s margins, while Amazon’s approach works for every company,” Russel explains.

Compensation and perks

As we’ve established, Google pays so much more compared to Amazon. Here’s a comparison of the average yearly compensation (base and total salary) for the top roles at both companies at L5 (mid-senior level), based on data from Levels.fyi.

Google and Amazon salary comparison

In terms of in-office perks and employee benefits, Google still outshines Amazon, even though it’s cutting down on some of its more lavish ones. However, Amazon’s benefits package is also comprehensive and isn’t far off Google’s, albeit without the onsite perks.

Flexible working arrangements

Compared to Amazon’s Return-to-Office (RTO) mandate, Google’s hybrid work policy offers more flexibility. The policy requires employees to work at the office 3 days a week, leaving them free to choose their workspace for the rest of the week. The company also offers office transfers and 100% remote work opportunities, plus up to 4 work-from-anywhere weeks per year.

1.2 Amazon is better for:

Growth opportunities

Having either Google or Amazon on your resume is a career highlight, no doubt. But in terms of opportunities for growth and impact, at least for tech roles, Amazon seems a better place to be.

In the Inc.com article, Richard Russel says he’d choose Google if he wants a workplace that provides perks and an atmosphere that keeps people happy, and freedom to explore interesting problems that keep them challenged. He’d choose Amazon if he wants to grow his capabilities and career.

Ex-Amazonian and Googler John Miller has a similar sentiment: “My experience is that at Amazon, the average software engineer gets to do more interesting, more impactful work sooner than software engineers at Google.”

Product manager Jessica Locke, in her Medium article, shares the same outlook. She says that if you want to gain experience fast and have more launches under your belt, especially early in your PM career, then being an Amazon PM will be perfect for you. But if you want to feel more supported at work while still conquering challenging problems, then Google is a better workplace for you.

2. How hard is it to transfer from Amazon to Google?↑

Having Amazon in your resume surely gives you a leg-up, but it still doesn’t guarantee your success at Google.

For one, Amazon’s interviews are highly focused on their leadership principles, while at Google, you’re expected to show your technical skills above all else, for top roles like SWE and PM.

You may have accomplished great things at Amazon, but you can’t rest on that laurel if you’re interviewing at Google. You’ll need to brush up on your technical interviewing skills, which are a different skill set.

3. Tips on how to move from Amazon to Google↑

If you’re ready to take the next step and transition from Amazon to Google, here are some tips to keep in mind as you make your move:

3.1 Learn more about the company

Before taking the leap, you should take some time to make sure Google is actually the right company for you.

Google is prestigious and it's therefore tempting to assume that you should transfer, without considering things more carefully. But, it's important to remember that the prestige of a job (by itself) won't make you happy in your day-to-day work. It's the type of work and the people you work with that will.

If you know anyone who works at Google or used to work there it's a good idea to talk to them to understand what the culture is like. In addition, we would recommend reading the following resources:

Google's mission statement (by Google)
Google's values (by Google)
Google org culture analysis (by Panmore Institute)
Google strategy teardown (by CBS Insights)
Alphabet annual reports and strategy presentations (by Alphabet)
Google SWOT analysis (by Strategic Management Insight)

3.2 Talk to a career coach

Switching companies is a big career move. You don’t want to make a decision based on a gut feeling. Discussing with friends or peers can be helpful, but won’t give you actionable insights. If you want to make sure you’re making the right move, even a session or two with a career coach can make a world of difference.

With a career coach by your side, you can confidently move forward in your career. You can get expert advice on how to best handle your transfer to Google and what skills you need to highlight and learn to make yourself a strong candidate.

Even if you haven’t yet decided on your next steps, a career coach can help clarify your path for you, opening you up to opportunities at Google (or even elsewhere) you may not have considered.

For your purpose, it’s best to find a coach who has made a similar transition to yours, so that you can compare both companies and gain insider insight to inform your decision. IGotAnOffer has a roster of FAANG career coaches that you can book sessions with as you make your choice.

Click here to learn more about our career coaching service.

3.3 Polish your resume

If you have Amazon in your resume, you’ll surely get noticed, but that still won’t guarantee you an interview. You want to make sure your resume matches the specific requirements of the role you’re applying for.

Use our guide to Google resumes to find out how to finetune yours for the company. If you need professional help, book one of our expert Google resume reviewers.

3.4 Brush up on your interviewing skills

As we’ve mentioned above, interviewing is a different skill that you need to practice, especially if you’re transitioning to a company like Google. To get you started, check out our Google interview guides for the top positions below:

After reading up on the subject matter, you’ll want to practice what you’ve learned. You can do so by yourself, or with a friend or peer. It’s free, but be warned, you may come up against the following problems:

It’s hard to know if the feedback you get is accurate
They’re unlikely to have insider knowledge of interviews at your target company
On peer platforms, people often waste your time by not showing up

For those reasons, many candidates skip peer mock interviews and go straight to mock interviews with an expert.

With a Google interview coach, you can:

Test yourself under real interview conditions
Get accurate feedback from a real expert
Build your confidence
Get company-specific insights
Learn how to tell the right stories, better.
Save time by focusing your preparation

Transferring to Google could potentially result in a $50,000 per year or more increase in total compensation. In our experience, three or four coaching sessions worth ~$500 make a significant difference in your ability to land the job. That’s an ROI of 100x!

Click here to book mock interviews with experienced Google interviewers.