Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands in Reading, PA make a median of $46,040 a year, or about $22.14 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $55K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.06), that's roughly $47,435 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,575/month, about 49.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in Reading?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Reading’s Regional Price Parity (97.06). 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
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What this looks like in Reading
Reading sits well above the national pay line for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, local pay runs about 14% 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 $1,575/month, which is 50.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.06) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands in metros near Reading, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $43K | $42K |
| Pittsburgh | $42K | $44K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $42K | $42K |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $44K | $44K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Reading, PA
Entry-level laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $55K or more, a $20K 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 Reading?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 50.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,575/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 Reading?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,125/month. At HUD’s $1,575/month FMR, rent would take 74% 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 Reading?
Local pay is 14% above the national median — $46K here vs. $40K nationally.
How does Reading compare to the national average for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands?
Reading pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands make in Reading, PA?
The median is $46,040 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,410, and experienced laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands can clear $55,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Reading?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,135/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,575/month, which eats 50.2% 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 Reading?
Reading has a Regional Price Parity of 97.06 (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 $47,435 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.