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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in Madison, WI

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in the Madison, WI metro area earn a median $44,190 a year — 10% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $36,523 take-home, or $3,044 a month.

Median salary
$44,190
$21.25 per hour
Typical range
$34,720 – $56,320
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Madison, WI
7,130
0.92× national concentration
▲5.9%
Pay trend: The median for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in Madison, WI rose from $41,740 (May 2024) to $44,190 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 3.5%.

Take-home pay calculator

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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Madison, WI
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$36,523
per year · effective tax rate 17.3%
$3,044Monthly
$1,522Twice a month
$1,405Every 2 weeks
$17.56Hourly
  • Federal income tax$3,123
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,740
  • Medicare (1.45%)$641
  • Wisconsin income tax$1,163
  • Take-home pay$36,523

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.40% 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 Madison, WI

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$34,720$16.69$29,331$2,444
25th percentile$37,420$17.99$31,382$2,615
Median (50th)$44,190$21.25$36,523$3,044
75th percentile$47,880$23.02$39,326$3,277
90th percentile (top earners)$56,320$27.08$45,736$3,811

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

What $44,190 buys in Madison, WI

Prices in Madison, WI are 2.7% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 0% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand's $36,523 take-home pay has the buying power of $37,542 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,377
45% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,600
53% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,667
per month for everything else

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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand jobs are about as common in Madison, WI as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.92).

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

Madison, WI ranks #29 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
29Madison, WI$44,190$36,523$37,542

*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 Wisconsin

Frequently asked questions

How much does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand make in Madison, WI?

The median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary in the Madison, WI metro area is $44,190 a year, or about $21.25 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $37,420 and $47,880.

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

On the median $44,190 salary, a single filer living in Wisconsin takes home about $36,523 a year ($3,044 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,163 in Wisconsin taxes in 2026.

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

Pay here is 10% above the national median of $40,240. Local prices are 2.7% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $37,542 would in a typical U.S. city. Madison, WI ranks #29 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 Madison, WI?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Madison, WI is $1,377 a month ($1,600 for two bedrooms) — 45% 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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