Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands in Memphis, TN-MS-AR make a median of $39,510 a year, or about $19 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.18), which stretches that salary to about $42,862 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,274/month, about 44.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in Memphis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Memphis’s Regional Price Parity (92.18). 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.
About laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Memphis
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand pay in Memphis tracks closely to the national median, $40K locally vs. $40K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,274/month, which is 45.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.18 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands in metros near Memphis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $40K | $41K |
| Knoxville | $37K | $40K |
| Chattanooga | $38K | $41K |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $35K | $41K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Entry-level laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $15K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Memphis numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand afford a 2BR apartment alone in Memphis?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 45.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,274/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 Memphis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,956/month. At HUD’s $1,274/month FMR, rent would take 65% 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 Memphis?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $40K locally vs. $40K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Memphis compare to the national average for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands?
Memphis pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands make in Memphis, TN-MS-AR?
The median is $39,510 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,600, and experienced laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands can clear $48,040. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Memphis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,815/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,274/month, which eats 45.3% 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 Memphis?
Memphis has a Regional Price Parity of 92.18 (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 $42,862 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.