Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in Pennsylvania
The median for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in Pennsylvania is $42,480 a year, somewhat above the national $40,240 (+6%); the state ranks 20th of 51 states by median. That is 15% less than the median across all occupations in Pennsylvania ($49,690). Among neighbouring states, New York pays more (up to $44,630 in New York) and Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Delaware and West Virginia pay less (down to $36,990 in West Virginia). Pennsylvania employs 131,050 laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, 21.6 per 1,000 jobs, the 6th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.14 is close to the national share.
Pennsylvania vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $15.50 | $17.61 | $20.43 | $22.93 | $27.06 | $20.74 | 131,050 | 21.61 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $32,240 | $36,620 | $42,480 | $47,690 | $56,280 | $43,130 | ||||
| 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
- 20th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 6th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.14
- Jobs per 1,000
- 21.61
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania
16 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chambersburg, PA | $22.86 | $47,540 | $34,890 | $53,840 | 3,130 | 51.94 | 2.74 |
| Reading, PA | $22.14 | $46,040 | $35,410 | $55,370 | 5,280 | 30.20 | 1.59 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $20.98 | $43,640 | $35,320 | $56,580 | 11,760 | 35.10 | 1.85 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $20.89 | $43,460 | $33,260 | $56,700 | 51,100 | 17.63 | 0.93 |
| York-Hanover, PA | $20.85 | $43,380 | $31,530 | $54,810 | 7,360 | 40.09 | 2.11 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $20.63 | $42,900 | $34,230 | $54,440 | 9,630 | 37.68 | 1.99 |
| Lancaster, PA | $20.41 | $42,440 | $31,940 | $55,720 | 5,730 | 22.72 | 1.20 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $20.38 | $42,380 | $34,230 | $56,930 | 14,840 | 39.34 | 2.07 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $20.11 | $41,830 | $32,020 | $57,520 | 18,830 | 16.90 | 0.89 |
| Lebanon, PA | $18.63 | $38,750 | $33,200 | $62,140 | 1,790 | 33.37 | 1.76 |
| Williamsport, PA | $18.54 | $38,570 | $31,140 | $49,850 | 940 | 18.96 | 1.00 |
| Gettysburg, PA | $18.46 | $38,390 | $31,400 | $49,210 | 790 | 24.71 | 1.30 |
| Johnstown, PA | $18.19 | $37,830 | $28,530 | $51,740 | 750 | 15.72 | 0.83 |
| Erie, PA | $17.78 | $36,980 | $28,740 | $47,190 | 1,810 | 14.98 | 0.79 |
| Altoona, PA | $17.77 | $36,970 | $29,730 | $47,540 | 1,050 | 17.89 | 0.94 |
| State College, PA | $17.77 | $36,970 | $30,070 | $47,980 | 470 | 6.88 | 0.36 |
| Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $18.39 | $38,240 | $30,050 | $50,730 | 4,090 | 21.81 | 1.15 |
| Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $18.24 | $37,940 | $29,720 | $57,970 | 2,250 | 16.01 | 0.84 |
| Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $17.95 | $37,330 | $30,480 | $53,310 | 2,190 | 16.95 | 0.89 |
| Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $17.62 | $36,650 | $29,120 | $48,570 | 2,790 | 18.70 | 0.99 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $20.43 | $42,480 | 131,050 | 1.14 |
| Delaware | $17.94 | $37,320 | 5,220 | 0.57 |
| Maryland | $20.00 | $41,600 | 47,710 | 0.91 |
| New Jersey | $19.01 | $39,540 | 97,230 | 1.20 |
| New York | $21.46 | $44,630 | 100,950 | 0.55 |
| Ohio | $18.97 | $39,460 | 108,830 | 1.03 |
| West Virginia | $17.79 | $36,990 | 11,300 | 0.85 |
See the national page for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand (every state ranked) and the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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.