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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in Houston, TX

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area earn a median $38,000 a year — 6% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $32,713 take-home, or $2,726 a month.

Median salary
$38,000
$18.27 per hour
Typical range
$29,660 – $52,270
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Houston, TX
52,520
0.84× national concentration
▲1.1%
Pay trend: The median for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in Houston, TX rose from $37,600 (May 2024) to $38,000 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 1.3%.

Take-home pay calculator

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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Houston, TX
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$32,713
per year · effective tax rate 13.9%
$2,726Monthly
$1,363Twice a month
$1,258Every 2 weeks
$15.73Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,380
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,356
  • Medicare (1.45%)$551
  • Texas income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$32,713

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% 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 Houston, TX

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$29,660$14.26$26,012$2,168
25th percentile$33,000$15.87$28,696$2,391
Median (50th)$38,000$18.27$32,713$2,726
75th percentile$46,150$22.19$39,262$3,272
90th percentile (top earners)$52,270$25.13$44,179$3,682

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

What $38,000 buys in Houston, TX

Prices in Houston, TX are 1.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.05× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand's $32,713 take-home pay has the buying power of $33,168 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,316
48% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,558
57% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,410
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 Houston, TX as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.84).

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

Houston, TX ranks #123 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
123Houston, TX$38,000$32,713$33,168

*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 Texas

Frequently asked questions

How much does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand make in Houston, TX?

The median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area is $38,000 a year, or about $18.27 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $33,000 and $46,150.

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

On the median $38,000 salary, a single filer living in Texas takes home about $32,713 a year ($2,726 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

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

Pay here is 6% below the national median of $40,240. Local prices are 1.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $33,168 would in a typical U.S. city. Houston, TX ranks #123 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 Houston, TX?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Houston, TX is $1,316 a month ($1,558 for two bedrooms) — 48% 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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