Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands in Missoula, MT make a median of $42,900 a year, or about $20.62 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.44), that's roughly $44,484 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,361/month, about 46.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $43K get you in Missoula?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Missoula’s Regional Price Parity (96.44). 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 Missoula
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand pay in Missoula tracks closely to the national median, $43K locally vs. $40K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,361/month, which is 46.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.44) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Missoula, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Billings | $44K | $47K |
| Bozeman | $47K | $46K |
| Great Falls | $40K | $41K |
| Helena | $41K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Missoula, MT
Entry-level laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $12K 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 Missoula?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 46.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,361/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 Missoula?
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 $2,141/month. At HUD’s $1,361/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 Missoula?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $43K locally vs. $40K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Missoula compare to the national average for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands?
Missoula pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands make in Missoula, MT?
The median is $42,900 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,680, and experienced laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands can clear $47,230. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Missoula?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,924/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,361/month, which eats 46.5% 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 Missoula?
Missoula has a Regional Price Parity of 96.44 (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 $44,484 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.