Career
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
Move freight, stock and materials by hand.
$40,240
Median pay
+1.8%
Job growth, 2025–35
340,500
Openings a year
No formal educational credential
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Maintain equipment storage areas to ensure that inventory is protected.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Coordination, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though short-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $40,240 a year and 340,500 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- NO MATCHCIP 99.9999
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Machine Feeders and Offbearers$41,220 · -13.1%
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators$46,420 · +1.5%
- Packers and Packagers, Hand$36,280 · -5.0%
- Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders$58,870 · +2.8%
- Conveyor Operators and Tenders$42,420 · -2.6%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.