Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
What Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Do
Manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor. Includes all manual laborers not elsewhere classified.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 1.3%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.4/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.4/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.2/5
- Transportationimportance 3.1/5
- Production and Processingimportance 3.1/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.0/5
- English Languageimportance 2.9/5
- Personnel and Human Resourcesimportance 2.8/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.5/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.5/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.4/5
- Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures4.3/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.3/5
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.3/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers97% skill match
- Highway Maintenance Workers96% skill match
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders96% skill match
- Tree Trimmers and Pruners95% skill match
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers95% skill match
- Forest and Conservation Workers95% skill match
- Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation95% skill match
- Bridge and Lock Tenders95% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 2.6/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 2.6/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.6/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.4/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.4/5
- Instructingimportance 2.3/5
- Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 2.1/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
In-Demand Technologies
Other Software Used
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Perseverance
- Integrity
- Cooperation
- Stress Tolerance
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
- InvestigativeLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Kenosha, WI3.78× national avg
- 2Memphis, TN-MS-AR3.25× national avg
- 3Chambersburg, PA2.74× national avg
- 4Stockton-Lodi, CA2.73× national avg
- 5Cleveland, TN2.33× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersCareer Change
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersCareer Change
- Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive FirersLateral Move
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and WallCareer Change
See the full career path from Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand →