Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · 3.0M employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$40,240
Median hourly
$19
Average annual
$42,260
Typical range
$31,270–$55,140
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand is $40,240 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $19 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor. Includes all manual laborers not elsewhere classified..
Most earn between $31,270 and $55,140 a year. There are roughly 3.0M people employed as laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
- Hourly
- $19.35
- Daily
- $155
- Weekly
- $774
- Bi-weekly
- $1,548
- Monthly
- $3,353
- Annual
- $40,240
$40,240 a year is around the 50th percentile for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands. The median is $40,240.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Minnesota$46,280
- 2Washington$46,190
- 3District of Columbia$45,740
- 4North Dakota$45,690
- 5Colorado$45,370
- 6Massachusetts$44,920
- 7Oregon$44,750
- 8California$44,710
- 9New York$44,630
- 10Wisconsin$44,610
- 11Alaska$44,510
- 12Arizona$44,290
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Topeka, KS$49,140
- 2Hanford-Corcoran, CA$48,420
- 3San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$48,400
- 4Sheboygan, WI$48,150
- 5Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$47,740
- 6Chambersburg, PA$47,540
- 7Kahului-Wailuku, HI$47,490
- 8Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA$47,440
- 9Stockton-Lodi, CA$47,330
- 10Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$47,320
- 11Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA$47,310
- 12Albany, OR$47,150
Related job titles
Employers advertise Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Packers and Packagers, Hand$36,280
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers$49,450
- Machine Feeders and Offbearers$41,220
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators$46,420
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors$49,690
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$40,240
- Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders$58,870
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,220
What a Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand does
- Maintain equipment storage areas to ensure that inventory is protected.
- Read work orders or receive oral instructions to determine work assignments or material or equipment needs.
- Move freight, stock, or other materials to and from storage or production areas, loading docks, delivery vehicles, ships, or containers, by hand or using trucks, tractors, or other equipment.
- Clean recycling yard by sweeping, raking, picking up broken glass and loose paper debris, or moving barrels and bins.
- Operate forklifts, pallet jacks, power lifts, or front-end loaders to load bales, bundles, or other heavy items onto trucks for shipping to smelters or other recycled materials processing facilities.
- Sort materials, such as metals, glass, wood, paper or plastics, into appropriate containers for recycling.
- Sort metals to separate high-grade metals, such as copper, brass, and aluminum, for recycling.
- Clean, inspect, or lubricate recyclable collection equipment or perform routine maintenance or minor repairs on recycling equipment, such as star gears, finger sorters, destoners, belts, and grinders.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand make?
- The median annual wage for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand is $40,240 ($19 per hour). Pay ranges from about $31,270 at the 10th percentile to $55,140 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $42,260, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands the most?
- Minnesota has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $46,280.
- Is Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 3.0M people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand do?
- Maintain equipment storage areas to ensure that inventory is protected.; Read work orders or receive oral instructions to determine work assignments or material or equipment needs.; Move freight, stock, or other materials to and from storage or production areas, loading docks, delivery vehicles, ships, or containers, by hand or using trucks, tractors, or other equipment..