This map of Amazon's warehouse locations shows how it's taking over America (AMZN)

Sarah Jacobs

Amazon is expanding its reach across America.

The ecommerce giant now has 140 fulfillment centers where they pack and ship a myriad of goods.

The warehouses range from large-scale centers where items ship in their own boxes — think appliances and sports equipment — to smaller footprint locations shipping specialty items like fine jewelry.

Some centers also handle the company's "Fulfillment by Amazon" program, where third-party sellers send items to Amazon to be shipped to customers. Others handle customer returns.

Looking at the map, a pattern emerges. The centers are clustered close to population centers, making Amazon Prime's promise of two-day shipping cheaper and easier to fulfill.

Business Insider/Anaele Pelisson

Of the centers on the map, 35 are either planned or under construction, according to MWPVL International, a logistics firm. High-pace growth of the centers started in 2005, when Amazon's presence started to increase from only two fulfillment centers in Seattle and Delaware.

Amazon's centers are now semi-automated, with thousands of employees helped by a staff of robots. Amazon recently hosted a nationwide jobs fair in support of its goal to hire 50,000 new fulfillment center employees this year. It allowed prospective employees to tour 10 warehouses across the country and apply for jobs in person. It received 20,000 applications for the positions on August 2 alone.

The jobs start at $12 an hour but come with a full set of benefits, including tuition reimbursement, 401(k) matching, and restricted stock options.

Note: Warehouse locations on the map are approximate for readability.

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