Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hands in Wisconsin make a median of $44,610 a year, or about $21.45 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.33), which stretches that salary to about $47,291 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,202/month, about 39.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Wisconsin. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $45K get you in Wisconsin?
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 Wisconsin
Wisconsin sits well above the national pay line for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, local pay runs about 11% 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 $1,202/month, which is 39.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.33 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wisconsin
Entry-level laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand salary by metro in Wisconsin
13 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheboygan | $48K | +8% | 1,550 |
| Kenosha | $47K | +5% | 5,420 |
| Fond du Lac | $46K | +3% | 990 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah | $46K | +3% | 2,080 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant | $45K | +2% | 2,190 |
| Eau Claire | $45K | +2% | 2,160 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $45K | +1% | 19,810 |
| Janesville-Beloit | $45K | -0% | 2,000 |
| Madison | $44K | -1% | 7,130 |
| Green Bay | $44K | -1% | 3,650 |
| Appleton | $44K | -2% | 2,610 |
| Wausau | $43K | -3% | 1,840 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska | $43K | -4% | 1,620 |
Showing 1–10 of 13 metros
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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 39.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,202/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 Wisconsin?
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 $1,996/month. At HUD’s $1,202/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Wisconsin?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $45K here vs. $40K nationally.
How does Wisconsin compare to the national average for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands?
Wisconsin pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.33), 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 Wisconsin?
The median is $44,610 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,260, and experienced laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hands can clear $57,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Wisconsin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,047/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,202/month, which eats 39.4% 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 Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has a Regional Price Parity of 94.33 (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 $47,291 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.