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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in Modesto, CA

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in the Modesto, CA metro area earn a median $46,630 a year — 16% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $38,186 take-home, or $3,182 a month.

Median salary
$46,630
$22.42 per hour
Typical range
$36,330 – $62,240
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Modesto, CA
4,810
1.30× national concentration
▲0.9%
Pay trend: The median for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in Modesto, CA rose from $46,230 (May 2024) to $46,630 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 1.5%.

Take-home pay calculator

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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Modesto, CA
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$38,186
per year · effective tax rate 18.1%
$3,182Monthly
$1,591Twice a month
$1,469Every 2 weeks
$18.36Hourly
  • Federal income tax$3,416
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,891
  • Medicare (1.45%)$676
  • California income tax$855
  • CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$606
  • Take-home pay$38,186

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.00% 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 Modesto, CA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$36,330$17.47$30,456$2,538
25th percentile$39,600$19.04$32,910$2,743
Median (50th)$46,630$22.42$38,186$3,182
75th percentile$56,540$27.18$45,433$3,786
90th percentile (top earners)$62,240$29.92$49,597$4,133

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

What $46,630 buys in Modesto, CA

Prices in Modesto, CA are 4.1% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.08× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand's $38,186 take-home pay has the buying power of $36,680 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,356
43% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,758
55% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,826
per month for everything else

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

Modesto, CA 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

Modesto, CA ranks #44 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
44Modesto, CA$46,630$38,186$36,680

*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 California

Frequently asked questions

How much does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand make in Modesto, CA?

The median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary in the Modesto, CA metro area is $46,630 a year, or about $22.42 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $39,600 and $56,540.

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

On the median $46,630 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $38,186 a year ($3,182 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,461 in California taxes in 2026.

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

Pay here is 16% above the national median of $40,240. Local prices are 4.1% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $36,680 would in a typical U.S. city. Modesto, CA ranks #44 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 Modesto, CA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Modesto, CA is $1,356 a month ($1,758 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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