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Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand: Job Description
Manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor. Includes all manual laborers not elsewhere classified.
What Do Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Do?
The core tasks performed by laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand span:
- Maintain equipment storage areas to ensure that inventory is protected.
- Read work orders or receive oral instructions to determine work assignments or material or equipment needs.
- Move freight, stock, or other materials to and from storage or production areas, loading docks, delivery vehicles, ships, or containers, by hand or using trucks, tractors, or other equipment.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Air and Water Filler
- Airport Maintenance Laborer
- Aluminum Can Collector
- Ash Collector
- Ash Handler
- Ash Pit Worker
- Ash Worker
- Assorter
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 428,110 laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +10.3% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $57,626 |
| Hourly median | $27.70 |
| 10th percentile | $40,896 |
| 25th percentile | $49,261 |
| 75th percentile | $65,990 |
| 90th percentile | $74,355 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $45,850 |
| Alaska | $45,720 |
| Minnesota | $45,440 |
| Colorado | $45,210 |
| District of Columbia | $45,140 |
| Massachusetts | $45,070 |
| North Dakota | $44,630 |
| Hawaii | $44,050 |
| New York | $43,660 |
| Iowa | $43,370 |
| Oregon | $43,110 |
| California | $42,660 |
| Wisconsin | $42,290 |
| Kentucky | $41,770 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,170 |
| Montana | $40,810 |
| Nebraska | $40,640 |
| Vermont | $40,480 |
| Maryland | $40,240 |
| Connecticut | $40,170 |
| Maine | $40,080 |
| Kansas | $39,960 |
| Illinois | $39,840 |
| Indiana | $39,820 |
| Rhode Island | $39,820 |
| Utah | $39,570 |
| New Hampshire | $39,290 |
| Virginia | $39,240 |
| Arizona | $39,160 |
| New Jersey | $39,050 |
| Ohio | $38,990 |
| Michigan | $38,850 |
| Nevada | $38,420 |
| Delaware | $38,330 |
| Idaho | $38,270 |
| Wyoming | $38,210 |
| Missouri | $37,950 |
| Tennessee | $37,910 |
| South Dakota | $37,280 |
| South Carolina | $37,190 |
| Georgia | $37,030 |
| Texas | $37,010 |
| New Mexico | $37,000 |
| Florida | $36,980 |
| Oklahoma | $36,260 |
| North Carolina | $36,080 |
| West Virginia | $35,990 |
| Mississippi | $35,920 |
| Alabama | $35,780 |
| Arkansas | $35,090 |
| Louisiana | $33,330 |
| Virgin Islands | $32,890 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,210 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $42,600 | 17.6% | 1.11 |
| New England | $42,093 | 2.9% | 0.63 |
| Plains States | $41,871 | 6.4% | 0.94 |
| Rocky Mountains | $41,351 | 2.9% | 0.79 |
| Middle Atlantic | $41,095 | 12.9% | 0.98 |
| Great Lakes | $39,883 | 17.7% | 1.32 |
| Southwest | $37,373 | 11.7% | 0.96 |
| Southeast | $37,142 | 27.6% | 1.21 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenosha, WI | WI | $48,480 | 5,100 |
| Topeka, KS | KS | $48,250 | 1,970 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $48,220 | 33,130 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $47,660 | 29,400 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | VA | $47,350 | 1,620 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | CA | $46,800 | 8,290 |
| Syracuse, NY | NY | $46,680 | 5,750 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $46,580 | 1,030 |
Which Industries Hire Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Most laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 997,400 | $43,190 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 535,240 | $35,780 |
| Wholesale Trade | 408,770 | $39,990 |
| Manufacturing | 406,630 | $41,260 |
| Retail Trade | 332,400 | $36,150 |
| Construction | 47,590 | $43,760 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 41,250 | $39,180 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 40,250 | $42,330 |
Below are examples of industries where laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand work:
Tech Stack
- Internet browser software: Apple Safari (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Internet browser software: Microsoft Edge (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Internet browser software: Mozilla Firefox (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Oracle Database (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand reflects the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Exposed to Contaminants
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
Getting Started in This Career
Most laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks (Supplemental)
- Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping (Supplemental)
- Construction Laborers (Supplemental)
- Helpers–Extraction Workers (Supplemental)
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery (Primary-Long)
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers (Supplemental)
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (Supplemental)
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (Supplemental)
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 53-7062.00 (Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand).
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