Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA make a median of $47,060 a year, or about $22.63 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $66K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.42), so that salary is closer to $42,619 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,483/month, about 107.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $47K get you in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara’s Regional Price Parity (110.42). 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara sits well above the national pay line for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, local pay runs about 17% 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 $3,483/month, which is 107.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.42), so groceries and services cost more too. 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $42K | $37K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $46K | $43K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $48K | $42K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $43K | $39K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Entry-level laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $66K or more, a $26K 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 107.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,483/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,383/month. At HUD’s $3,483/month FMR, rent would take 146% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $47K here vs. $40K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 10% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara compare to the national average for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.42), 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
The median is $47,060 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,710, and experienced laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands can clear $66,060. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,228/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,483/month, which eats 107.9% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara has a Regional Price Parity of 110.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary is worth about $42,619 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.