Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in Lancaster, PA

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in the Lancaster, PA metro area earn a median $42,440 a year — 5% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $34,978 take-home, or $2,915 a month.

Median salary
$42,440
$20.40 per hour
Typical range
$31,940 – $55,720
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Lancaster, PA
5,730
1.20× national concentration
▲3.0%
Pay trend: The median for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in Lancaster, PA rose from $41,190 (May 2024) to $42,440 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 0.6%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary in Lancaster, PA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Lancaster, PA
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$34,978
per year · effective tax rate 17.6%
$2,915Monthly
$1,457Twice a month
$1,345Every 2 weeks
$16.82Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,913
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,631
  • Medicare (1.45%)$615
  • Pennsylvania income tax$1,303
  • Take-home pay$34,978

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 3.07% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand pay by experience in Lancaster, PA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$31,940$15.36$26,863$2,239
25th percentile$37,020$17.80$30,789$2,566
Median (50th)$42,440$20.40$34,978$2,915
75th percentile$48,540$23.34$39,692$3,308
90th percentile (top earners)$55,720$26.79$45,240$3,770

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Pennsylvania resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $42,440 buys in Lancaster, PA

Prices in Lancaster, PA are 1.7% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 6% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand's $34,978 take-home pay has the buying power of $35,598 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,220
42% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,526
52% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,695
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Lancaster, PA has 1.2× the national concentration of laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

Best-paying cities for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, adjusted for cost of living

Lancaster, PA ranks #63 of 164 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Waterloo, IA $47,440$39,147$44,967
2Fargo, ND $45,690$38,892$42,799
3Des Moines, IA $46,370$38,328$41,797
4Louisville, KY $46,830$38,286$41,135
5Chambersburg, PA $47,540$38,919$41,122
6Cedar Rapids, IA $43,300$35,978$40,441
7Youngstown, OH $41,540$35,197$40,274
8Tyler, TX $43,390$37,044$40,197
63Lancaster, PA$42,440$34,978$35,598

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 164 metros →

About the job: laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

Manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor.

Typical education
No formal educational credential
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
+1.8% (slower than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand salaries elsewhere in Pennsylvania

Frequently asked questions

How much does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand make in Lancaster, PA?

The median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary in the Lancaster, PA metro area is $42,440 a year, or about $20.40 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $37,020 and $48,540.

What is a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand’s take-home pay in Lancaster, PA?

On the median $42,440 salary, a single filer living in Pennsylvania takes home about $34,978 a year ($2,915 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,303 in Pennsylvania taxes in 2026.

Is Lancaster, PA a good place to work as a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand?

Pay here is 5% above the national median of $40,240. Local prices are 1.7% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $35,598 would in a typical U.S. city. Lancaster, PA ranks #63 of 164 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand afford rent in Lancaster, PA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Lancaster, PA is $1,220 a month ($1,526 for two bedrooms) — 42% of a median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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