Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands in California make a median of $44,710 a year, or about $21.5 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $42,124 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 80% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $45K get you in California?
About laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands
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What this looks like in California
California sits well above the national pay line for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, local pay runs about 11% higher than the U.S. median of $40K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 80.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand salary by metro in California
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanford-Corcoran | $48K | +8% | 790 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $48K | +8% | 30,710 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $47K | +6% | 15,030 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $47K | +5% | 11,830 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $47K | +5% | 8,440 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $47K | +4% | 2,810 |
| Modesto | $47K | +4% | 4,810 |
| Napa | $46K | +3% | 1,020 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $46K | +3% | 69,820 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $46K | +3% | 18,560 |
| Vallejo | $46K | +2% | 2,520 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $44K | -1% | 860 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $43K | -3% | 21,950 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $43K | -5% | 2,100 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $42K | -5% | 120,720 |
| Yuba City | $42K | -6% | 650 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $42K | -6% | 5,600 |
| Merced | $42K | -6% | 1,130 |
| Chico | $41K | -8% | 990 |
| Visalia | $40K | -11% | 4,070 |
| Fresno | $39K | -12% | 8,050 |
| Salinas | $39K | -13% | 3,890 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $39K | -13% | 1,360 |
| Redding | $38K | -16% | 1,220 |
| El Centro | $37K | -16% | 930 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 80.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,164/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 114% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand a high-paying job in California?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $45K here vs. $40K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does California compare to the national average for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands?
California pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands make in California?
The median is $44,710 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,060, and experienced laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands can clear $57,700. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,083/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 80.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary is worth about $42,124 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.