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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in Scranton, PA

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area earn a median $42,900 a year — 7% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $35,333 take-home, or $2,944 a month.

Median salary
$42,900
$20.63 per hour
Typical range
$34,230 – $54,440
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Scranton, PA
9,630
1.99× national concentration
▲2.5%
Pay trend: The median for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in Scranton, PA rose from $41,860 (May 2024) to $42,900 (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 Scranton, PA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Scranton, PA
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$35,333
per year · effective tax rate 17.6%
$2,944Monthly
$1,472Twice a month
$1,359Every 2 weeks
$16.99Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,968
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,660
  • Medicare (1.45%)$622
  • Pennsylvania income tax$1,317
  • Take-home pay$35,333

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 3.07% 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 Scranton, PA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$34,230$16.46$28,633$2,386
25th percentile$36,620$17.61$30,480$2,540
Median (50th)$42,900$20.63$35,333$2,944
75th percentile$47,280$22.73$38,718$3,226
90th percentile (top earners)$54,440$26.17$44,251$3,688

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

What $42,900 buys in Scranton, PA

Prices in Scranton, PA are 6.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 33% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand's $35,333 take-home pay has the buying power of $37,767 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,028
35% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,252
43% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,916
per month for everything else

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

Scranton, PA has 2.0× 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

Scranton, PA ranks #26 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
26Scranton, PA$42,900$35,333$37,767

*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 Pennsylvania

Frequently asked questions

How much does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand make in Scranton, PA?

The median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area is $42,900 a year, or about $20.63 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $36,620 and $47,280.

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

On the median $42,900 salary, a single filer living in Pennsylvania takes home about $35,333 a year ($2,944 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,317 in Pennsylvania taxes in 2026.

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

Pay here is 7% above the national median of $40,240. Local prices are 6.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $37,767 would in a typical U.S. city. Scranton, PA ranks #26 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 Scranton, PA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Scranton, PA is $1,028 a month ($1,252 for two bedrooms) — 35% 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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