Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand (SOC 53-7062) earn a median $40,240 a year ($19.35 an hour) in the United States, with 2,950,280 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Minnesota.
What laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand do
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, do general manual labor and the lifting and carrying of freight and goods. The SOC definition also takes in all manual laborers not classified elsewhere. Typical settings include storage and production areas, loading docks, delivery vehicles, ships, and containers. The work consists of moving freight, stock, luggage, or other materials to and from storage and production areas by hand or using trucks, tractors, or other equipment, and reading work orders or taking oral instructions to know what to move and where. Laborers also keep storage areas organized so inventory stays protected. Workers in this group use no power equipment to do the lifting itself. Construction laborers and helpers in the building trades are counted elsewhere, and so are material moving workers who use power equipment, such as forklift operators. Packers and stockers have separate codes.
Typical entry: O*NET reports that most workers in this occupation have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Also called: Air and Water Filler, Airport Maintenance Laborer, Aluminum Can Collector, Ash Collector, Ash Handler.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $15.03 | $17.35 | $19.35 | $22.56 | $26.51 | $20.32 | 2,950,280 |
| Annual | $31,270 | $36,090 | $40,240 | $46,920 | $55,140 | $42,260 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $17.19 | $18.80 | $22.25 | $25.03 | $29.39 | $22.56 | 54,480 | 18.47 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $35,750 | $39,110 | $46,280 | $52,070 | $61,140 | $46,920 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $17.96 | $19.38 | $22.21 | $24.63 | $28.98 | $22.92 | 49,450 | 13.93 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $37,350 | $40,300 | $46,190 | $51,230 | $60,280 | $47,680 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $18.05 | $19.33 | $21.99 | $25.00 | $29.99 | $23.68 | 1,200 | 1.71 | 0.09 |
| Annual | $37,550 | $40,200 | $45,740 | $52,000 | $62,390 | $49,250 | ||||
| North Dakota | Hourly | $16.80 | $18.50 | $21.97 | $23.84 | $28.37 | $22.07 | 9,990 | 23.27 | 1.23 |
| Annual | $34,940 | $38,470 | $45,690 | $49,580 | $59,020 | $45,910 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $17.66 | $19.04 | $21.81 | $23.45 | $27.49 | $22.05 | 31,140 | 10.83 | 0.57 |
| Annual | $36,730 | $39,610 | $45,370 | $48,770 | $57,180 | $45,860 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.34 | $18.21 | $21.50 | $23.53 | $27.74 | $21.92 | 355,500 | 19.52 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $36,060 | $37,890 | $44,710 | $48,950 | $57,700 | $45,590 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $14.06 | $16.00 | $18.05 | $21.73 | $24.11 | $18.94 | 216,970 | 15.42 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $29,250 | $33,280 | $37,540 | $45,200 | $50,140 | $39,400 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.28 | $17.26 | $19.50 | $22.87 | $26.84 | $20.66 | 195,390 | 32.04 | 1.69 |
| Annual | $31,780 | $35,890 | $40,550 | $47,560 | $55,840 | $42,960 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.40 | $16.69 | $18.35 | $21.82 | $23.49 | $19.36 | 164,400 | 16.56 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $29,960 | $34,710 | $38,160 | $45,390 | $48,870 | $40,260 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $14.47 | $16.81 | $18.50 | $22.17 | $24.41 | $19.45 | 137,580 | 28.14 | 1.48 |
| Annual | $30,100 | $34,970 | $38,480 | $46,100 | $50,770 | $40,450 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Topeka, KS | Hourly | $14.95 | $18.03 | $23.62 | $24.54 | $26.69 | $21.53 | 2,140 | 18.45 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $31,100 | $37,500 | $49,140 | $51,030 | $55,520 | $44,780 | ||||
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | Hourly | $17.00 | $18.50 | $23.28 | $28.77 | $28.77 | $23.39 | 790 | 16.10 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $35,360 | $38,480 | $48,420 | $59,840 | $59,840 | $48,640 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $19.53 | $21.64 | $23.27 | $26.93 | $31.20 | $24.66 | 30,710 | 12.94 | 0.68 |
| Annual | $40,620 | $45,000 | $48,400 | $56,020 | $64,900 | $51,280 | ||||
| Sheboygan, WI | Hourly | $14.91 | $18.61 | $23.15 | $26.68 | $27.61 | $22.51 | 1,550 | 25.63 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $31,020 | $38,700 | $48,150 | $55,490 | $57,420 | $46,820 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $18.87 | $20.87 | $22.95 | $26.48 | $30.00 | $23.87 | 29,490 | 14.14 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $39,240 | $43,420 | $47,740 | $55,070 | $62,400 | $49,650 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $15.32 | $17.27 | $19.50 | $22.90 | $27.13 | $20.74 | 157,920 | 34.99 | 1.84 |
| Annual | $31,860 | $35,920 | $40,550 | $47,640 | $56,440 | $43,140 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.25 | $17.88 | $20.38 | $22.60 | $27.28 | $21.19 | 120,720 | 19.25 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $35,890 | $37,190 | $42,390 | $47,010 | $56,740 | $44,070 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.59 | $17.85 | $20.81 | $23.65 | $28.86 | $21.77 | 118,290 | 12.46 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $34,500 | $37,120 | $43,290 | $49,200 | $60,020 | $45,280 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $14.62 | $16.86 | $18.52 | $22.13 | $26.12 | $19.63 | 81,940 | 20.23 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $30,400 | $35,060 | $38,510 | $46,030 | $54,320 | $40,830 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $15.13 | $17.34 | $18.76 | $22.52 | $25.25 | $20.04 | 78,460 | 27.15 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $31,460 | $36,070 | $39,020 | $46,840 | $52,510 | $41,680 | ||||
Top industries employing laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
Employment Services employ 14.9% of laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand nationally (440,730 jobs) at a median $35,730 a year ($17.18 an hour), followed by Warehousing and Storage (14.7%) and Couriers and Express Delivery Services (11.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 440,730 | 14.9% | $35,730 | $17.18 |
| Warehousing and Storage NAICS 493100 | 433,060 | 14.7% | $45,880 | $22.06 |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services NAICS 492100 | 334,430 | 11.3% | $44,650 | $21.47 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) NAICS 4230A1 | 141,690 | 4.8% | $42,950 | $20.65 |
| Building Material and Supplies Dealers NAICS 444100 | 126,030 | 4.3% | $38,370 | $18.45 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (2,950,280). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $31,230 for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in May 2021 and $40,240 in May 2025, with employment of 2,729,010 and 2,950,280.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $31,230 | $15.02 | 2,729,010 |
| May 2022 | $36,110 | $17.36 | 2,934,050 |
| May 2023 | $37,660 | $18.10 | 3,008,300 |
| May 2024 | $38,940 | $18.72 | 2,982,530 |
| May 2025 | $40,240 | $19.35 | 2,950,280 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota profile | $22.25 | $46,280 | $35,750 | $61,140 | 54,480 | 18.47 | 0.97 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $22.21 | $46,190 | $37,350 | $60,280 | 49,450 | 13.93 | 0.73 |
| 3 | District of Columbia profile | $21.99 | $45,740 | $37,550 | $62,390 | 1,200 | 1.71 | 0.09 |
| 4 | North Dakota profile | $21.97 | $45,690 | $34,940 | $59,020 | 9,990 | 23.27 | 1.23 |
| 5 | Colorado profile | $21.81 | $45,370 | $36,730 | $57,180 | 31,140 | 10.83 | 0.57 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | $21.60 | $44,920 | $36,470 | $58,270 | 34,700 | 9.54 | 0.50 |
| 7 | Oregon profile | $21.52 | $44,750 | $34,820 | $58,010 | 27,720 | 14.09 | 0.74 |
| 8 | California profile | $21.50 | $44,710 | $36,060 | $57,700 | 355,500 | 19.52 | 1.03 |
| 9 | New York profile | $21.46 | $44,630 | $35,360 | $59,330 | 100,950 | 10.42 | 0.55 |
| 10 | Wisconsin profile | $21.45 | $44,610 | $33,260 | $57,360 | 70,520 | 23.98 | 1.26 |
| 11 | Alaska profile | $21.40 | $44,510 | $34,790 | $75,280 | 4,250 | 13.05 | 0.69 |
| 12 | Arizona profile | $21.29 | $44,290 | $34,620 | $57,810 | 71,090 | 21.95 | 1.16 |
| 13 | Hawaii profile | $21.21 | $44,120 | $34,090 | $61,110 | 9,490 | 15.12 | 0.80 |
| 14 | Montana profile | $21.08 | $43,840 | $32,400 | $53,160 | 3,870 | 7.57 | 0.40 |
| 15 | Connecticut profile | $20.98 | $43,640 | $35,440 | $54,490 | 23,970 | 14.13 | 0.74 |
| 16 | Iowa profile | $20.91 | $43,490 | $32,790 | $53,620 | 30,890 | 19.81 | 1.04 |
| 17 | Nebraska profile | $20.63 | $42,910 | $33,320 | $53,160 | 13,870 | 13.54 | 0.71 |
| 18 | Kentucky profile | $20.56 | $42,770 | $30,890 | $49,750 | 57,930 | 28.96 | 1.53 |
| 19 | Maine profile | $20.50 | $42,640 | $32,550 | $55,230 | 6,120 | 9.55 | 0.50 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania profile | $20.43 | $42,480 | $32,240 | $56,280 | 131,050 | 21.61 | 1.14 |
| 21 | Utah profile | $20.37 | $42,370 | $33,360 | $54,790 | 29,670 | 17.09 | 0.90 |
| 22 | New Hampshire profile | $20.25 | $42,110 | $33,960 | $53,560 | 8,340 | 12.20 | 0.64 |
| 23 | Rhode Island profile | $20.05 | $41,690 | $31,700 | $58,690 | 6,760 | 13.48 | 0.71 |
| 24 | Maryland profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $34,280 | $55,710 | 47,710 | 17.27 | 0.91 |
| 25 | Indiana profile | $19.87 | $41,340 | $31,040 | $52,590 | 103,200 | 32.24 | 1.70 |
| 26 | Illinois profile | $19.50 | $40,550 | $31,780 | $55,840 | 195,390 | 32.04 | 1.69 |
| 27 | Kansas profile | $19.35 | $40,250 | $30,830 | $51,030 | 23,270 | 16.19 | 0.85 |
| 28 | Idaho profile | $19.18 | $39,900 | $29,550 | $49,250 | 15,610 | 18.20 | 0.96 |
| 29 | New Jersey profile | $19.01 | $39,540 | $33,350 | $55,940 | 97,230 | 22.69 | 1.20 |
| 30 | Ohio profile | $18.97 | $39,460 | $30,650 | $50,760 | 108,830 | 19.61 | 1.03 |
| 31 | Vermont profile | $18.94 | $39,390 | $30,350 | $49,170 | 3,060 | 10.06 | 0.53 |
| 32 | Virginia profile | $18.94 | $39,380 | $31,050 | $53,700 | 58,000 | 14.11 | 0.74 |
| 33 | Nevada profile | $18.92 | $39,350 | $33,380 | $56,690 | 40,850 | 26.33 | 1.39 |
| 34 | Missouri profile | $18.79 | $39,080 | $30,380 | $52,520 | 43,050 | 14.66 | 0.77 |
| 35 | South Dakota profile | $18.74 | $38,980 | $31,340 | $50,420 | 3,820 | 8.36 | 0.44 |
| 36 | Michigan profile | $18.68 | $38,860 | $30,220 | $52,080 | 79,410 | 18.03 | 0.95 |
| 37 | Georgia profile | $18.50 | $38,480 | $30,100 | $50,770 | 137,580 | 28.14 | 1.48 |
| 38 | Wyoming profile | $18.43 | $38,330 | $31,130 | $53,270 | 2,700 | 9.62 | 0.51 |
| 39 | North Carolina profile | $18.38 | $38,230 | $30,010 | $47,590 | 116,720 | 23.62 | 1.24 |
| 40 | Florida profile | $18.35 | $38,160 | $29,960 | $48,870 | 164,400 | 16.56 | 0.87 |
| 41 | Tennessee profile | $18.35 | $38,160 | $30,230 | $48,420 | 105,870 | 32.29 | 1.70 |
| 42 | Texas profile | $18.05 | $37,540 | $29,250 | $50,140 | 216,970 | 15.42 | 0.81 |
| 43 | South Carolina profile | $18.04 | $37,530 | $29,830 | $48,230 | 56,700 | 24.60 | 1.30 |
| 44 | Delaware profile | $17.94 | $37,320 | $31,200 | $47,920 | 5,220 | 10.77 | 0.57 |
| 45 | New Mexico profile | $17.90 | $37,230 | $28,510 | $50,620 | 10,200 | 11.71 | 0.62 |
| 46 | Oklahoma profile | $17.78 | $36,990 | $28,840 | $47,600 | 38,210 | 22.38 | 1.18 |
| 47 | West Virginia profile | $17.79 | $36,990 | $27,270 | $50,240 | 11,300 | 16.11 | 0.85 |
| 48 | Alabama profile | $17.63 | $36,670 | $26,850 | $47,910 | 36,140 | 17.10 | 0.90 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $17.50 | $36,400 | $27,740 | $47,280 | 30,750 | 26.44 | 1.39 |
| 50 | Arkansas profile | $17.27 | $35,920 | $28,090 | $45,920 | 21,430 | 16.44 | 0.87 |
| 51 | Louisiana profile | $16.99 | $35,340 | $24,150 | $46,890 | 43,730 | 22.60 | 1.19 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (53-7060), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 53-7062 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 53-7062, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 53-7062.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.