Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Also called: Laborer, Loader, Material Handler, Warehouse WorkerManually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor. Includes all manual laborers not elsewhere classified.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 2 of its 12 rated tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 1.8% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
BLS figures cover the broader occupation “Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand”, which includes this one and others.
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 7.7% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.0 hires for every 10 job openings in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, which employs about 33% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.9.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $36,670 | $30,700 to $44,170 | 36,140 |
| Alaska | $44,510 | $39,000 to $54,860 | 4,250 |
| Arizona | $44,290 | $37,280 to $48,170 | 71,090 |
| Arkansas | $35,920 | $30,280 to $41,750 | 21,430 |
| California | $44,710 | $37,890 to $48,950 | 355,500 |
| Colorado | $45,370 | $39,610 to $48,770 | 31,140 |
| Connecticut | $43,640 | $37,810 to $48,060 | 23,970 |
| Delaware | $37,320 | $34,920 to $44,960 | 5,220 |
| District of Columbia | $45,740 | $40,200 to $52,000 | 1,200 |
| Florida | $38,160 | $34,710 to $45,390 | 164,400 |
| Georgia | $38,480 | $34,970 to $46,100 | 137,580 |
| Guam | $37,670 | $26,410 to $41,950 | 460 |
| Hawaii | $44,120 | $37,830 to $50,630 | 9,490 |
| Idaho | $39,900 | $35,160 to $45,400 | 15,610 |
| Illinois | $40,550 | $35,890 to $47,560 | 195,390 |
| Indiana | $41,340 | $36,390 to $46,910 | 103,200 |
| Iowa | $43,490 | $37,420 to $48,390 | 30,890 |
| Kansas | $40,250 | $35,580 to $46,300 | 23,270 |
| Kentucky | $42,770 | $35,510 to $46,830 | 57,930 |
| Louisiana | $35,340 | $29,350 to $41,870 | 43,730 |
| Maine | $42,640 | $36,690 to $46,720 | 6,120 |
| Maryland | $41,600 | $36,960 to $45,760 | 47,710 |
| Massachusetts | $44,920 | $38,920 to $49,190 | 34,700 |
| Michigan | $38,860 | $35,730 to $46,390 | 79,410 |
| Minnesota | $46,280 | $39,110 to $52,070 | 54,480 |
| Mississippi | $36,400 | $30,830 to $43,750 | 30,750 |
| Missouri | $39,080 | $35,080 to $45,730 | 43,050 |
| Montana | $43,840 | $36,610 to $46,670 | 3,870 |
| Nebraska | $42,910 | $37,440 to $46,610 | 13,870 |
| Nevada | $39,350 | $37,010 to $45,820 | 40,850 |
| New Hampshire | $42,110 | $36,770 to $46,570 | 8,340 |
| New Jersey | $39,540 | $35,910 to $46,770 | 97,230 |
| New Mexico | $37,230 | $31,790 to $43,800 | 10,200 |
| New York | $44,630 | $38,450 to $49,200 | 100,950 |
| North Carolina | $38,230 | $35,030 to $44,470 | 116,720 |
| North Dakota | $45,690 | $38,470 to $49,580 | 9,990 |
| Ohio | $39,460 | $35,770 to $45,230 | 108,830 |
| Oklahoma | $36,990 | $32,250 to $41,420 | 38,210 |
| Oregon | $44,750 | $37,840 to $49,300 | 27,720 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,480 | $36,620 to $47,690 | 131,050 |
| Puerto Rico | $24,560 | $22,370 to $29,100 | 10,410 |
| Rhode Island | $41,690 | $36,050 to $48,250 | 6,760 |
| South Carolina | $37,530 | $34,760 to $44,480 | 56,700 |
| South Dakota | $38,980 | $35,200 to $46,380 | 3,820 |
| Tennessee | $38,160 | $35,550 to $44,920 | 105,870 |
| Texas | $37,540 | $33,280 to $45,200 | 216,970 |
| Utah | $42,370 | $36,880 to $47,060 | 29,670 |
| Vermont | $39,390 | $35,480 to $46,370 | 3,060 |
| Virgin Islands | $31,810 | $28,150 to $37,410 | 520 |
| Virginia | $39,380 | $35,870 to $47,210 | 58,000 |
| Washington | $46,190 | $40,300 to $51,230 | 49,450 |
| West Virginia | $36,990 | $31,150 to $44,540 | 11,300 |
| Wisconsin | $44,610 | $37,510 to $48,500 | 70,520 |
| Wyoming | $38,330 | $35,670 to $46,230 | 2,700 |
Nationally: $40,240. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 2 of its 12 rated tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Read work orders or receive oral instructions to determine work assignments or material or equipment needs. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain equipment storage areas to ensure that inventory is protected. | Not published |
| Not much | Sort cargo before loading and unloading. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Install protective devices, such as bracing, padding, or strapping, to prevent shifting or damage to items being transported. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record numbers of units handled or moved, using daily production sheets or work tickets. | Not published |
See all 13 tasks
| AI + software | Attach identifying tags to containers or mark them with identifying information. | Not published |
| Not much | Carry needed tools or supplies from storage or trucks and return them after use. | Not published |
| Not much | Pack containers and re-pack damaged containers. | Not published |
| Not rated | Assemble product containers or crates, using hand tools and precut lumber. | Not published |
| Not much | Adjust controls to guide, position, or move equipment, such as cranes, booms, or cameras. | Not published |
| Not much | Attach slings, hooks, or other devices to lift cargo and guide loads. | Not published |
| Not much | Connect electrical equipment to power sources so that it can be tested before use. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 13 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 13 tasks fall under 12 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Operate lifting or moving equipment | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Connect components or supply lines to equipment or tools | |||
| Sort materials or products | |||
| Mark materials or objects for identification | |||
| Maintain operational records |
Show all 12 activities
| Inspect facilities or equipment | |||
| Assemble products or work aids | |||
| Package objects | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Configuration or infrastructure11%
- An explanation or answer11%
- An analysis or summary7%
- A script or snippet7%
- Data or a spreadsheet5%
How they worked with Claude
65% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 396,936 moves out
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 3 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 4 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Low +1.5% 3%
- 5 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Where people moved in from
of 296,865 moves in
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 5%
- 2 Cashiers High -6.5% 4%
- 3 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 4%
- 4 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Low +1.5% 4%
- 5 Stockers and Order Fillers Moderate +8.9% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 1% some college
- 99% not published
O*NET marks 99% of the answers as too uncertain to publish, so the parts shown don't add up to 100%.
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 27 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 17% less than high school
- 48% high school
- 21% some college
- 6% associate's
- 7% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 24,586 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
26.6% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | <0.5% | 19.1% |
| a certification | not published | |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (Dock Worker). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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