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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in Lexington, KY

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area earn a median $41,910 a year — 4% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $34,505 take-home, or $2,875 a month.

Median salary
$41,910
$20.15 per hour
Typical range
$31,330 – $49,120
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Lexington, KY
5,500
1.01× national concentration
▲5.7%
Pay trend: The median for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in Lexington, KY rose from $39,660 (May 2024) to $41,910 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 3.3%.

Take-home pay calculator

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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Lexington, KY
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$34,505
per year · effective tax rate 17.7%
$2,875Monthly
$1,438Twice a month
$1,327Every 2 weeks
$16.59Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,849
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,598
  • Medicare (1.45%)$608
  • Kentucky income tax$1,349
  • Take-home pay$34,505

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 3.50% 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 Lexington, KY

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$31,330$15.06$26,375$2,198
25th percentile$35,580$17.11$29,641$2,470
Median (50th)$41,910$20.15$34,505$2,875
75th percentile$46,120$22.17$37,741$3,145
90th percentile (top earners)$49,120$23.62$40,046$3,337

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

What $41,910 buys in Lexington, KY

Prices in Lexington, KY are 7.1% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 23% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand's $34,505 take-home pay has the buying power of $37,147 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,079
38% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,272
44% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,796
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 Lexington, KY as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.01).

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

Lexington, KY ranks #35 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
35Lexington, KY$41,910$34,505$37,147

*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 Kentucky

Frequently asked questions

How much does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand make in Lexington, KY?

The median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area is $41,910 a year, or about $20.15 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $35,580 and $46,120.

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

On the median $41,910 salary, a single filer living in Kentucky takes home about $34,505 a year ($2,875 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,349 in Kentucky taxes in 2026.

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

Pay here is 4% above the national median of $40,240. Local prices are 7.1% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $37,147 would in a typical U.S. city. Lexington, KY ranks #35 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 Lexington, KY?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Lexington, KY is $1,079 a month ($1,272 for two bedrooms) — 38% 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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