Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in Indiana
The median for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in Indiana is $41,340 a year, somewhat above the national $40,240 (+3%); the state ranks 25th of 51 states by median. That is 14% less than the median across all occupations in Indiana ($47,860). Among neighbouring states, Kentucky pays more (up to $42,770 in Kentucky) and Illinois, Ohio and Michigan pay less (down to $38,860 in Michigan). Indiana employs 103,200 laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, 32.2 per 1,000 jobs, the 10th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.70 means the occupation is more concentrated in Indiana than nationally.
Indiana vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $14.92 | $17.50 | $19.87 | $22.55 | $25.28 | $20.12 | 103,200 | 32.24 | 1.70 |
| Annual | $31,040 | $36,390 | $41,340 | $46,910 | $52,590 | $41,850 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 25th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 10th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.70
- Jobs per 1,000
- 32.24
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Indiana's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Indiana
15 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching Indiana publish a row for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $22.51 | $46,830 | $35,190 | $51,200 | 29,400 | 42.91 | 2.26 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $21.24 | $44,180 | $31,500 | $50,450 | 48,100 | 43.52 | 2.29 |
| Evansville, IN | $20.27 | $42,170 | $31,430 | $47,990 | 3,980 | 29.44 | 1.55 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $19.63 | $40,820 | $31,860 | $51,050 | 2,980 | 23.30 | 1.23 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $19.50 | $40,550 | $31,860 | $56,440 | 157,920 | 34.99 | 1.84 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $19.35 | $40,240 | $31,690 | $50,530 | 22,910 | 20.81 | 1.10 |
| Kokomo, IN | $18.77 | $39,040 | $31,150 | $50,620 | 550 | 15.53 | 0.82 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $18.67 | $38,830 | $30,870 | $53,460 | 2,660 | 20.21 | 1.07 |
| Columbus, IN | $18.51 | $38,510 | $29,350 | $53,590 | 1,310 | 26.22 | 1.38 |
| Bloomington, IN | $18.33 | $38,130 | $31,040 | $47,530 | 1,020 | 13.96 | 0.74 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | $18.20 | $37,860 | $29,620 | $53,630 | 5,800 | 25.71 | 1.36 |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | $18.18 | $37,820 | $28,850 | $47,320 | 870 | 21.27 | 1.12 |
| Muncie, IN | $18.03 | $37,490 | $27,100 | $47,830 | 690 | 15.37 | 0.81 |
| Terre Haute, IN | $17.99 | $37,420 | $27,710 | $51,440 | 1,180 | 18.11 | 0.95 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $17.94 | $37,310 | $31,980 | $47,460 | 2,470 | 24.16 | 1.27 |
| Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $20.10 | $41,810 | $31,120 | $52,190 | 6,720 | 31.93 | 1.68 |
| Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $18.36 | $38,200 | $30,330 | $56,210 | 4,800 | 29.73 | 1.57 |
| Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $17.59 | $36,590 | $30,930 | $48,420 | 5,950 | 30.29 | 1.60 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand (every state ranked) and the Indiana wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Indiana estimates.
- 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.