Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands in Fort Smith, AR-OK make a median of $34,810 a year, or about $16.74 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.89), which stretches that salary to about $40,529 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $937/month, about 39.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $35K get you in Fort Smith?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Fort Smith’s Regional Price Parity (85.89). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
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What this looks like in Fort Smith
Pay for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in Fort Smith runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $40K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $937/month, which is 39% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands in metros near Fort Smith, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway | $37K | $42K |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers | $37K | $40K |
| Jonesboro | $38K | $44K |
| Hot Springs | $32K | $38K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Fort Smith, AR-OK
Entry-level laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $46K | +15% | 54,480 |
| Washington | $46K | +15% | 49,450 |
| District of Columbia | $46K | +14% | 1,200 |
| North Dakota | $46K | +14% | 9,990 |
| Colorado | $45K | +13% | 31,140 |
| Massachusetts | $45K | +12% | 34,700 |
| Oregon | $45K | +11% | 27,720 |
| California | $45K | +11% | 355,500 |
| New York | $45K | +11% | 100,950 |
| Wisconsin | $45K | +11% | 70,520 |
| Alaska | $45K | +11% | 4,250 |
| Arizona | $44K | +10% | 71,090 |
| Hawaii | $44K | +10% | 9,490 |
| Montana | $44K | +9% | 3,870 |
| Connecticut | $44K | +8% | 23,970 |
| Iowa | $43K | +8% | 30,890 |
| Nebraska | $43K | +7% | 13,870 |
| Kentucky | $43K | +6% | 57,930 |
| Maine | $43K | +6% | 6,120 |
| Pennsylvania | $42K | +6% | 131,050 |
| Utah | $42K | +5% | 29,670 |
| New Hampshire | $42K | +5% | 8,340 |
| Rhode Island | $42K | +4% | 6,760 |
| Maryland | $42K | +3% | 47,710 |
| Indiana | $41K | +3% | 103,200 |
| Illinois | $41K | +1% | 195,390 |
| Kansas | $40K | +0% | 23,270 |
| Idaho | $40K | -1% | 15,610 |
| New Jersey | $40K | -2% | 97,230 |
| Ohio | $39K | -2% | 108,830 |
| Vermont | $39K | -2% | 3,060 |
| Virginia | $39K | -2% | 58,000 |
| Nevada | $39K | -2% | 40,850 |
| Missouri | $39K | -3% | 43,050 |
| South Dakota | $39K | -3% | 3,820 |
| Michigan | $39K | -3% | 79,410 |
| Georgia | $38K | -4% | 137,580 |
| Wyoming | $38K | -5% | 2,700 |
| North Carolina | $38K | -5% | 116,720 |
| Florida | $38K | -5% | 164,400 |
| Tennessee | $38K | -5% | 105,870 |
| Texas | $38K | -7% | 216,970 |
| South Carolina | $38K | -7% | 56,700 |
| Delaware | $37K | -7% | 5,220 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -7% | 10,200 |
| West Virginia | $37K | -8% | 11,300 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -8% | 38,210 |
| Alabama | $37K | -9% | 36,140 |
| Mississippi | $36K | -10% | 30,750 |
| Arkansas | $36K | -11% | 21,430 |
| Louisiana | $35K | -12% | 43,730 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand afford a 2BR apartment alone in Fort Smith?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 39% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $937/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Fort Smith?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,534/month. At HUD’s $937/month FMR, rent would take 61% 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 Fort Smith?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $35K here vs. $40K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Fort Smith compare to the national average for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands?
Fort Smith pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands make in Fort Smith, AR-OK?
The median is $34,810 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,570, and experienced laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands can clear $44,120. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Fort Smith?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,402/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $937/month, which eats 39% 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 Fort Smith?
Fort Smith has a Regional Price Parity of 85.89 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary is worth about $40,529 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.