Hand Laborers and Material Movers

Hand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials. Some of these workers feed or remove material to or from machines, clean vehicles, pick up unwanted household goods, and pack materials for moving.

Duties

Hand laborers and material movers typically do the following:

• Manually move or sort goods according to plan or schedule
• Pack or wrap products by hand
• Keep a record of the goods they move, package, or sort
• Signal machine operators to help move goods
• Clean vehicles, machinery, and other equipment

In warehouses and in wholesale and retail operations, hand laborers and material movers work closely with material moving machine operators and material recording clerks. Some workers are employed in manufacturing industries, loading material onto conveyor belts or other machines.

The following are examples of types of hand laborers and material movers: 

Cleaners of vehicles and equipment wash automobiles and other vehicles, as well as storage tanks, pipelines, and related machinery. They use cleaning products, hoses, and brushes. Most of these workers clean cars at a carwash, an automobile dealership, or a rental agency, so they often interact with customers. Some clean industrial equipment at manufacturing firms.

Hand laborers and freight, stock, and material movers move materials to and from storage and production areas, loading docks, delivery trucks, ships, and containers. Some workers retrieve products from storage and move them to loading areas. Other workers load and unload cargo from a truck. When moving a package, these workers keep track of the package number, sometimes with a hand-held scanner, to ensure proper delivery.

Hand packers and packagers package a variety of products and materials by hand. They may label cartons, inspect items for defects, and keep records of items packed. Some of these workers pack items for shipment and move them to a loading dock. Others work in stores, bagging groceries or other purchases for customers.

Machine feeders and offbearers process materials by feeding them into equipment or by removing them from equipment. The equipment is generally operated by other workers, such as material moving machine operators. Machine feeders and offbearers help the operator if the machine becomes jammed or needs minor repairs. Machine feeders also track the amount of material they process during a shift.

Refuse and recyclable material collectors gather garbage and recyclables from homes and businesses to transport to a dump, landfill, or recycling center. Many collectors lift garbage cans by hand and empty them into their truck. Some collectors drive the garbage or recycling truck along a scheduled route and may use a hydraulic lift to empty the contents of a dumpster into the truck.

Stockers and order fillers receive, unpack, and track merchandise. Stockers move products from a stockroom or warehouse to fill shelves, racks, tables, or customers’ orders. They keep a record of items that enter or leave their location and inspect for damaged goods. Order fillers retrieve customer orders and prepare them to be shipped.

Hand laborers and material movers held about 7.0 million jobs in 2024. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up hand laborers and material movers was distributed as follows:

The largest employers of hand laborers and material movers were as follows:

Hand laborers and material movers work in stockrooms, warehouses, manufacturing plants, and other settings. They lift and carry heavy objects, and their work is usually repetitive and physically demanding. They also might need to bend, kneel, crouch, or crawl in awkward positions.

Injuries and Illnesses

Hand laborers and freight, stock, and material movers and refuse and recyclable material collectors have some of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. Moving heavy objects around warehouses or onto trucks, or bending while cleaning a vehicle, may lead to sprains, strains, or overexertion.

Work Schedules

Most hand laborers and material movers work full time, although part-time work is common. Work schedules vary and may include nights and weekends.

There are usually no formal educational requirements to become a hand laborer or material mover. They typically learn through on-the-job training that lasts 1 month or less.

The median annual wage for hand laborers and material movers was $37,680 in May 2024.

Overall employment of hand laborers and material movers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 1,008,300 openings for hand laborers and material movers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.