Laborer / Material Mover

Manually moves freight, stock, and other materials, loading and unloading trucks, operating hand trucks and forklifts, and performing general physical labor in warehouses, factories, and construction sites.

About This Role

Laborers and material movers spend their days physically handling freight in warehouses, shipping docks, and truck yards. They unload delivery trucks using forklifts and wheeled carts, sort items by destination, stack goods on shelves or shipping platforms, and prepare outbound loads by securing freight with straps and padding. Much of the work involves scanning barcodes to keep inventory records accurate, deciding how to arrange heavy items so loads stay balanced, and following safety procedures to avoid injuries in a fast-paced environment.

A Day in the Life

• 6:00 AM Shift start and safety check
  Arrive at the warehouse, put on protective gear, and review the list of incoming and outgoing shipments for the day.
• 6:30 AM Unload incoming trucks
  Use a forklift or wheeled cart to move freight off delivery trucks, then scan each item and place it in the correct storage area.
• 8:30 AM Stage inventory for orders
  Pull items from shelves and move them to a staging area, checking quantities against order sheets before packaging.
• 12:00 PM Lunch break
  Take a 30-minute break to eat, hydrate, and stretch to reduce the chance of muscle strain.
• 12:30 PM Load outbound shipments
  Stack and secure freight onto trucks using straps and padding, making sure weight is distributed evenly for safe transport.
• 2:30 PM Sort overflow and clear jams
  Hand-carry packages that backed up on conveyor belts and update the inventory tracking system on a handheld scanner.
• 4:00 PM Organize the yard
  Reposition trailers in the loading yard and check that stored freight has not shifted during the day.
• 5:30 PM End-of-shift cleanup
  Sweep the dock area, park and lock equipment, and note any damaged or missing items in the shift log for the next crew.

Tools & Technologies

• Web Browsers: Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
• Word Processing: Google Docs, Microsoft Word
• Email: Microsoft Outlook, IBM Notes
• CAD & Design: Autodesk AutoCAD
• Spreadsheets: Microsoft Excel
• Office Suites: Microsoft Office

Pay

Median salary: $39,000 per year.

Salary distribution:

• 10th percentile: $31,000
• 25th percentile: $35,000
• Median: $39,000
• 75th percentile: $46,000
• 90th percentile: $53,000

Most professionals earn between $35,000 and $46,000.

Pay by State

• Washington: $46,000 ($37,000 - $60,000)
• Alaska: $46,000 ($35,000 - $93,000)
• Minnesota: $45,000 ($35,000 - $59,000)
• Colorado: $45,000 ($36,000 - $58,000)
• District of Columbia: $45,000 ($37,000 - $69,000)
• Massachusetts: $45,000 ($36,000 - $59,000)
• North Dakota: $45,000 ($33,000 - $59,000)
• Hawaii: $44,000 ($32,000 - $68,000)
• New York: $44,000 ($35,000 - $63,000)
• Iowa: $43,000 ($31,000 - $53,000)
• Oregon: $43,000 ($34,000 - $59,000)
• California: $43,000 ($35,000 - $56,000)
• Wisconsin: $42,000 ($32,000 - $55,000)
• Kentucky: $42,000 ($30,000 - $49,000)
• Pennsylvania: $41,000 ($32,000 - $55,000)
• Montana: $41,000 ($31,000 - $51,000)
• Nebraska: $41,000 ($33,000 - $49,000)
• Vermont: $40,000 ($33,000 - $48,000)
• Maryland: $40,000 ($33,000 - $56,000)
• Connecticut: $40,000 ($35,000 - $52,000)
• Maine: $40,000 ($32,000 - $55,000)
• Kansas: $40,000 ($31,000 - $52,000)
• Illinois: $40,000 ($31,000 - $56,000)
• Indiana: $40,000 ($32,000 - $50,000)
• Rhode Island: $40,000 ($31,000 - $56,000)
• Utah: $40,000 ($32,000 - $51,000)
• New Hampshire: $39,000 ($31,000 - $50,000)
• Virginia: $39,000 ($30,000 - $53,000)
• Arizona: $39,000 ($33,000 - $59,000)
• New Jersey: $39,000 ($32,000 - $53,000)
• Ohio: $39,000 ($31,000 - $50,000)
• Michigan: $39,000 ($31,000 - $54,000)
• Nevada: $38,000 ($33,000 - $58,000)
• Delaware: $38,000 ($31,000 - $52,000)
• Idaho: $38,000 ($30,000 - $49,000)
• Wyoming: $38,000 ($31,000 - $54,000)
• Missouri: $38,000 ($30,000 - $51,000)
• Tennessee: $38,000 ($30,000 - $48,000)
• South Dakota: $37,000 ($31,000 - $48,000)
• South Carolina: $37,000 ($29,000 - $48,000)
• Georgia: $37,000 ($29,000 - $50,000)
• Texas: $37,000 ($29,000 - $49,000)
• New Mexico: $37,000 ($29,000 - $50,000)
• Florida: $37,000 ($29,000 - $48,000)
• Oklahoma: $36,000 ($28,000 - $47,000)
• North Carolina: $36,000 ($29,000 - $47,000)
• West Virginia: $36,000 ($27,000 - $48,000)
• Mississippi: $36,000 ($28,000 - $47,000)
• Alabama: $36,0