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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in Knoxville, TN

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in the Knoxville, TN metro area earn a median $37,400 a year — 7% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $32,231 take-home, or $2,686 a month.

Median salary
$37,400
$17.98 per hour
Typical range
$29,580 – $48,550
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Knoxville, TN
10,120
1.26× national concentration
▲0.5%
Pay trend: The median for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in Knoxville, TN rose from $37,210 (May 2024) to $37,400 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 1.9%.

Take-home pay calculator

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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Knoxville, TN
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$32,231
per year · effective tax rate 13.8%
$2,686Monthly
$1,343Twice a month
$1,240Every 2 weeks
$15.50Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,308
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,319
  • Medicare (1.45%)$542
  • Tennessee income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$32,231

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 Knoxville, TN

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$29,580$14.22$25,948$2,162
25th percentile$34,880$16.77$30,206$2,517
Median (50th)$37,400$17.98$32,231$2,686
75th percentile$45,150$21.71$38,458$3,205
90th percentile (top earners)$48,550$23.34$41,190$3,432

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

What $37,400 buys in Knoxville, TN

Prices in Knoxville, TN are 7.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 17% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand's $32,231 take-home pay has the buying power of $34,818 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,126
42% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,401
52% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,560
per month for everything else

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

Knoxville, TN has 1.3× 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

Knoxville, TN ranks #80 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
80Knoxville, TN$37,400$32,231$34,818

*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 Tennessee

Frequently asked questions

How much does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand make in Knoxville, TN?

The median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary in the Knoxville, TN metro area is $37,400 a year, or about $17.98 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $34,880 and $45,150.

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

On the median $37,400 salary, a single filer living in Tennessee takes home about $32,231 a year ($2,686 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

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

Pay here is 7% below the national median of $40,240. Local prices are 7.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $34,818 would in a typical U.S. city. Knoxville, TN ranks #80 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 Knoxville, TN?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Knoxville, TN is $1,126 a month ($1,401 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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