Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in West Virginia
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in West Virginia have a median of $36,990 a year, below the national $40,240 (−8%); the state ranks 46th of 51 states by median. That is 18% less than the median across all occupations in West Virginia ($45,300). Every neighbouring state pays more: Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and Virginia range from $39,380 in Virginia to $42,770 in Kentucky. West Virginia employs 11,300 laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, 16.1 per 1,000 jobs, the 38th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.85 is close to the national share.
West Virginia vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| West Virginia | Hourly | $13.11 | $14.98 | $17.79 | $21.41 | $24.15 | $18.50 | 11,300 | 16.11 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $27,270 | $31,150 | $36,990 | $44,540 | $50,240 | $38,490 | ||||
| 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
- 46th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 38th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.85
- Jobs per 1,000
- 16.11
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of West Virginia'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 West Virginia
10 metropolitan areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching West Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $20.47 | $42,590 | $35,290 | $55,190 | 28,510 | 9.09 | 0.48 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | $20.15 | $41,910 | $30,210 | $47,280 | 1,580 | 23.35 | 1.23 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | $18.34 | $38,150 | $29,580 | $64,160 | 940 | 16.22 | 0.85 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $18.32 | $38,100 | $31,200 | $51,660 | 2,980 | 27.85 | 1.47 |
| Charleston, WV | $17.95 | $37,340 | $28,470 | $51,640 | 1,390 | 13.47 | 0.71 |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | $17.95 | $37,330 | $28,610 | $56,490 | 650 | 17.89 | 0.94 |
| Morgantown, WV | $17.74 | $36,900 | $27,570 | $47,350 | 810 | 11.97 | 0.63 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $17.47 | $36,330 | $27,630 | $44,490 | 570 | 15.83 | 0.83 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $17.36 | $36,120 | $27,850 | $48,090 | 2,240 | 15.94 | 0.84 |
| Beckley, WV | $17.35 | $36,080 | $28,040 | $50,450 | 570 | 13.32 | 0.70 |
| Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $17.60 | $36,610 | $26,690 | $49,820 | 2,640 | 18.10 | 0.95 |
| Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $17.27 | $35,920 | $25,020 | $54,130 | 1,050 | 13.84 | 0.73 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $17.79 | $36,990 | 11,300 | 0.85 |
| Kentucky | $20.56 | $42,770 | 57,930 | 1.53 |
| Maryland | $20.00 | $41,600 | 47,710 | 0.91 |
| Ohio | $18.97 | $39,460 | 108,830 | 1.03 |
| Pennsylvania | $20.43 | $42,480 | 131,050 | 1.14 |
| Virginia | $18.94 | $39,380 | 58,000 | 0.74 |
See the national page for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand (every state ranked) and the West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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.