Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary: $38,940 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 2,982,530 laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand work nationally, and $38,940 is the BLS national median annual wage. Projections imply about 2.4% annual growth; much hiring sits in transportation and warehousing.
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand: what the data shows
Common questions about laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand?
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 53-7062.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 2,982,530 workers.
What does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Controlling Machines and Processes, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand make?
BLS national median annual wage: $38,940 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $45,346 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,158 |
| 25th percentile | $37,787 |
| Median (50th) | $43,697 |
| 75th percentile | $49,679 |
| 90th percentile | $57,075 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Operations Monitoring, and knowledge areas including English Language, Mathematics, Transportation, Mechanical. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.4% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 12.6%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 26.7%.
Current U.S. headcount: 2,982,530.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 2,982,530 | 19.3% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 2,943,370 | 19.0% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 997,400 | 6.5% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 535,240 | 3.5% |
| Administrative and Support Services | 503,590 | 3.3% |
| Employment Services | 471,600 | 3.0% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand workforce.
Employment Over Time
2,982,530 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand grew from 1,025,400 in 2009 to 1,497,140 in 2025 (46.0%).
Historical employment for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$38,940 Median pay (BLS national)
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand earn $38,940 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Salary distribution for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Employment Growth Projections
2.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,685,108 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 12.6%
1,896,675 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 26.7%
This occupation is projected to grow at 2.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Wage Trends by Industry
0.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 382,740 employees, $44,270 avg wage
- TX: 224,960 employees, $38,190 avg wage
- IL: 183,590 employees, $42,780 avg wage
- FL: 157,990 employees, $38,750 avg wage
- PA: 137,640 employees, $42,240 avg wage
- GA: 135,950 employees, $39,120 avg wage
- NC: 113,330 employees, $37,320 avg wage
- TN: 111,240 employees, $39,430 avg wage
- OH: 105,960 employees, $40,880 avg wage
- NJ: 101,720 employees, $41,950 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 146,710 employees, $43,200 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 128,800 employees, $42,790 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 122,030 employees, $44,880 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 80,360 employees, $39,760 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 78,350 employees, $40,240 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 75,620 employees, $44,720 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 57,320 employees, $43,250 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 52,970 employees, $39,480 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 52,930 employees, $42,910 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 49,710 employees, $39,400 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Diversity
Demographic information on Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand is about 2,982,530 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand workers.
Education level distribution for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Skills
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand include English Language, Mathematics, Transportation, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security.
Knowledge areas required for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand include Static Strength, Multilimb Coordination, Trunk Strength, Control Precision, Manual Dexterity.
Required abilities for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
Daily Activities
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand spend their time on activities such as Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Controlling Machines and Processes, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment.
Most important work activities for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
About
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand earn $38,940 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
53-7062 - Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand reports an average salary of $45,346.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 2,982,530 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.