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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in New Orleans, LA

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area earn a median $36,380 a year — 10% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $30,706 take-home, or $2,559 a month.

Median salary
$36,380
$17.49 per hour
Typical range
$26,410 – $47,680
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in New Orleans, LA
9,220
1.09× national concentration
▲3.2%
Pay trend: The median for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in New Orleans, LA rose from $35,250 (May 2024) to $36,380 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 0.8%.

Take-home pay calculator

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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in New Orleans, LA
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$30,706
per year · effective tax rate 15.6%
$2,559Monthly
$1,279Twice a month
$1,181Every 2 weeks
$14.76Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,186
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,256
  • Medicare (1.45%)$528
  • Louisiana income tax$705
  • Take-home pay$30,706

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 3.00% 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 New Orleans, LA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$26,410$12.70$22,953$1,913
25th percentile$30,300$14.57$26,003$2,167
Median (50th)$36,380$17.49$30,706$2,559
75th percentile$42,810$20.58$35,680$2,973
90th percentile (top earners)$47,680$22.92$39,447$3,287

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

What $36,380 buys in New Orleans, LA

Prices in New Orleans, LA are 7.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 14% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand's $30,706 take-home pay has the buying power of $33,161 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,105
43% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,323
52% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,454
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 New Orleans, LA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.09).

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

New Orleans, LA ranks #124 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
124New Orleans, LA$36,380$30,706$33,161

*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 Louisiana

Frequently asked questions

How much does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand make in New Orleans, LA?

The median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary in the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area is $36,380 a year, or about $17.49 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $30,300 and $42,810.

What is a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand’s take-home pay in New Orleans, LA?

On the median $36,380 salary, a single filer living in Louisiana takes home about $30,706 a year ($2,559 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $705 in Louisiana taxes in 2026.

Is New Orleans, LA a good place to work as a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand?

Pay here is 10% below the national median of $40,240. Local prices are 7.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $33,161 would in a typical U.S. city. New Orleans, LA ranks #124 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 New Orleans, LA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in New Orleans, LA is $1,105 a month ($1,323 for two bedrooms) — 43% 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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