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Warehousing & Logistics
Amazon, UPS, FedEx
Material Moving Workers, All Other
These workers keep products moving between trucks, storage areas, production lines, and shipping zones. The job is hands-on and practical: stacking, sorting, loading, and moving heavy items with carts, pallet jacks, or other equipment. The tradeoff is straightforward—it's one of the easier jobs to enter, but the pay is modest and the work is repetitive, physical, and often tied to shift schedules.
Also known as Material HandlerWarehouse AssociateDock WorkerFreight HandlerLoader/Unloader
Median Salary
$41,690
Mean $46,650
U.S. Workforce
~25K
3.1K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+4.3%
27.7K to 28.9K
Entry Education
No formal educational credential
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Material Moving Workers, All Other sits in the Trades category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~25K workers, with a median annual pay of $41,690 and roughly 3.1K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 27.7 K in 2024 to 28.9K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with No formal educational credential, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Loading Dock Assistant and can progress toward Lead Material Handler. High-value skills usually include Forklift Operation, Pallet Jack & Powered Industrial Truck Safety, Palletizing, Staging & Load Securing, and Handheld Scanners, Barcode Systems & WMS, paired with soft skills such as Attention to detail, Physical stamina, and Teamwork.
Core Responsibilities
- Move boxes, pallets, and other materials from delivery trucks, storage racks, or production lines to where they need to go.
- Load and unload shipments by hand or with carts, dollies, pallet jacks, and similar equipment.
- Sort items by destination, product type, or order so they can be stored or shipped correctly.
- Wrap, stack, label, and secure loads so goods do not tip over or get damaged in transit.
Keep exploring: more Trades careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Move boxes, pallets, and other materials from delivery trucks, storage racks, or production lines to where they need to go.
02 Load and unload shipments by hand or with carts, dollies, pallet jacks, and similar equipment.
03 Sort items by destination, product type, or order so they can be stored or shipped correctly.
04 Wrap, stack, label, and secure loads so goods do not tip over or get damaged in transit.
05 Check shipment counts, scan barcodes, and compare what arrived with the paperwork or system record.
06 Keep the work area clear, report damaged goods or broken equipment, and follow safety rules around heavy loads and moving machinery.
Industries That Hire
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Retail Distribution
Walmart, Target, Costco
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Manufacturing
Toyota, Procter & Gamble, GE Appliances
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Food Processing & Cold Storage
Cargill, Tyson Foods, PepsiCo
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Ports, Freight & Transportation
Maersk, CSX, DHL Supply Chain
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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It is one of the easier jobs to enter: BLS lists no formal educational credential and short-term on-the-job training.
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There are a lot of openings for a niche role, with about 25,190 workers now and roughly 3.1K annual openings.
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The work is practical and easy to understand, so you can start contributing quickly without years of school.
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It can be a stepping-stone to forklift, inventory, or shipping roles if you want to move into a more specialized job.
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The job exists in many industries, from warehouses and factories to retail distribution and freight, which can make it easier to find work in different locations.
Challenges
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The pay is modest for physically demanding work: the median is $41,690 and the mean is only $46,650.
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Growth is not strong, at 4.3% through 2034, so this is not a high-expansion field.
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A lot of the work is repetitive lifting, carrying, and sorting, which can wear down your body over time.
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This role is often a career ceiling rather than a launchpad, because many employers use it for entry-level labor and promote only a small number of workers into lead or equipment roles.
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Automation and warehouse equipment can replace some manual-moving tasks, so the most basic parts of the job are vulnerable over the long term.
Career Progression
Loading Dock Assistant
0-1 years
$30K-$34K
New workers learn how to move goods safely, handle basic loading tasks, and follow instructions from more experienced staff.
Material Handler
1-3 years
$34K-$39K
Workers at this level handle more of the day-to-day moving, sorting, and staging of products with less supervision.
Material Moving Worker THIS ROLE
3-6 years
$40K-$52K
This is the core role, with regular responsibility for moving, securing, and checking materials in fast-moving warehouse or plant settings.
Lead Material Handler
6-10 years
$52K-$63K
Experienced workers may lead a small crew, coordinate staging areas, and help keep shipments moving on schedule.
Education Paths
No formal educational credential
This is the typical entry point for the role, and workers usually learn the job through short-term on-the-job training.
High school diploma or GED
A diploma or GED can help with reading labels, following written instructions, and handling basic inventory records.
Forklift or material-handling certificate
Some workers add a forklift or safety certificate to qualify for jobs that use more equipment and to improve their chances of moving up.
Key Skills
Technical
Forklift Operation, Pallet Jack & Powered Industrial Truck Safety 84%
Palletizing, Staging & Load Securing 80%
Handheld Scanners, Barcode Systems & WMS 76%
Shipping/Receiving Procedures & Inventory Counts 72%
OSHA Material Handling Safety & PPE 70%
Conveyor, Hoist & Cart Equipment Use 66%
Soft Skills
Attention to detailPhysical staminaTeamworkTime managementCommunicationSituational awareness Job Outlook and Trends
+4.3%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
3.1K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 27.7K to 28.9 K over the next decade, representing 4.3% growth. Around 3.1 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.