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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in Wilmington, NC

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in the Wilmington, NC metro area earn a median $37,160 a year — 8% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $31,064 take-home, or $2,589 a month.

Median salary
$37,160
$17.87 per hour
Typical range
$29,630 – $64,600
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Wilmington, NC
3,310
0.91× national concentration
▲2.5%
Pay trend: The median for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in Wilmington, NC rose from $36,260 (May 2024) to $37,160 (May 2025). That roughly kept pace with inflation (2.4%).

Take-home pay calculator

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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Wilmington, NC
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$31,064
per year · effective tax rate 16.4%
$2,589Monthly
$1,294Twice a month
$1,195Every 2 weeks
$14.93Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,279
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,304
  • Medicare (1.45%)$539
  • North Carolina income tax$974
  • Take-home pay$31,064

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 3.99% 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 Wilmington, NC

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$29,630$14.25$25,314$2,110
25th percentile$34,400$16.54$28,957$2,413
Median (50th)$37,160$17.87$31,064$2,589
75th percentile$44,910$21.59$36,982$3,082
90th percentile (top earners)$64,600$31.06$52,017$4,335

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

What $37,160 buys in Wilmington, NC

Prices in Wilmington, NC are 3.6% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 7% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand's $31,064 take-home pay has the buying power of $32,217 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,380
53% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,512
58% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,209
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 Wilmington, NC as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.91).

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

Wilmington, NC ranks #146 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
146Wilmington, NC$37,160$31,064$32,217

*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 North Carolina

Frequently asked questions

How much does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand make in Wilmington, NC?

The median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary in the Wilmington, NC metro area is $37,160 a year, or about $17.87 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $34,400 and $44,910.

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

On the median $37,160 salary, a single filer living in North Carolina takes home about $31,064 a year ($2,589 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $974 in North Carolina taxes in 2026.

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

Pay here is 8% below the national median of $40,240. Local prices are 3.6% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $32,217 would in a typical U.S. city. Wilmington, NC ranks #146 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 Wilmington, NC?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Wilmington, NC is $1,380 a month ($1,512 for two bedrooms) — 53% 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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