Hand laborers and material movers handle, organize, and transport goods in warehouses, stockrooms, and job sites. The work is physical and practical. You can start with a high school diploma and learn on the job.
Pathly builds you a free, personalized roadmap and helps your counselor champion you along the way.
You inspect equipment and materials to spot damage or problems. You move, load, and unload freight by hand or with basic equipment. You organize inventory and keep track of stock levels. You follow safety rules to protect yourself and others. You listen to instructions from supervisors and coworkers, and you communicate clearly about what you find or what needs to happen next. The work happens in warehouses, retail stockrooms, construction sites, and shipping centers.
Core work activities
Career video courtesy of CareerOneStop.
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand earn a median of $40,240 a year, based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and location.
The outlook is modest. Employment is projected to grow 2 percent from 2024 to 2034, little or no change for all occupations, with about 384,300 openings a year.
Top skills
Knowledge areas
Most positions require a high school diploma or equivalent. Some employers hire without it and provide on-the-job training. You will learn how to handle materials safely, use basic equipment, and follow warehouse procedures. Physical fitness helps because the work involves lifting, bending, and standing for long periods. You can start right away and build skills as you work. Some people move into supervisory or specialized roles after gaining experience.
Most people enter this field directly from high school or by applying to warehouses and logistics companies. If you are deciding between jumping in right away and getting more training first, Pathly can map the laborer and freight, stock, and material mover, hand path that fits you and work through your options with your counselor.
You like hands-on work and solving practical problems. You are reliable, detail-oriented, and comfortable in fast-paced environments where safety and accuracy matter.
Reading about a career is the easy part. Turning it into a plan is where most students get stuck. Pathly takes you from curious to a clear next step, and gives your counselor the insight to champion you along the way.
Start with a quick quiz and assessments that surface your personality, your EQ, and what really motivates you, so your next steps are built around who you actually are.
Your free AI guide weighs this career against your strengths and goals, and surfaces the colleges, trades, and scholarships that match, so you know if it truly fits before you commit.
Get a personalized, step-by-step plan to reach this career, with the training, coursework, and credentials tracked in one place. Link your school or IEC and your counselor in the loop.
Last updated July 1, 2026.
Data sources. Career details from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Salary and outlook figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 wages; 2024–2034 projections), delivered via the CareerOneStop API. Certification, licensing, wage, and outlook data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).