Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands in Kansas make a median of $40,250 a year, or about $19.35 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $51K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.54), which stretches that salary to about $44,952 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,066/month, about 38.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Kansas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $40K get you in Kansas?
About laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands
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What this looks like in Kansas
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand pay in Kansas tracks closely to the national median, $40K locally vs. $40K nationwide, a 0% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,066/month, which is 39.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.54 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kansas
Entry-level laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $51K or more, a $20K spread from bottom to top.
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand salary by metro in Kansas
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topeka | $49K | +22% | 2,140 |
| Lawrence | $43K | +7% | 530 |
| Wichita | $38K | -6% | 3,690 |
| Manhattan | $36K | -10% | 930 |
Compare to other states
Track laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Kansas 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 Kansas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 39.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,066/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Kansas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,850/month. At HUD’s $1,066/month FMR, rent would take 58% 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 Kansas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $40K locally vs. $40K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Kansas compare to the national average for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands?
Kansas pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands make in Kansas?
The median is $40,250 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,830, and experienced laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands can clear $51,030. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Kansas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,728/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,066/month, which eats 39.1% 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 Kansas?
Kansas has a Regional Price Parity of 89.54 (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 $44,952 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.