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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Salary in Worcester, MA

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in the Worcester, MA metro area earn a median $44,080 a year — 10% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $35,614 take-home, or $2,968 a month.

Median salary
$44,080
$21.19 per hour
Typical range
$35,840 – $58,110
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Worcester, MA
3,950
0.59× national concentration
▼0.5%
Pay trend: The median for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand in Worcester, MA fell from $44,310 (May 2024) to $44,080 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 2.9%.

Take-home pay calculator

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

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Worcester, MA
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$35,614
per year · effective tax rate 19.2%
$2,968Monthly
$1,484Twice a month
$1,370Every 2 weeks
$17.12Hourly
  • Federal income tax$3,110
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,733
  • Medicare (1.45%)$639
  • Massachusetts income tax$1,984
  • Take-home pay$35,614

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 5.00% 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 Worcester, MA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$35,840$17.23$29,405$2,450
25th percentile$37,960$18.25$31,003$2,584
Median (50th)$44,080$21.19$35,614$2,968
75th percentile$49,560$23.83$39,743$3,312
90th percentile (top earners)$58,110$27.94$46,186$3,849

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

What $44,080 buys in Worcester, MA

Prices in Worcester, MA are 2.5% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.13× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand's $35,614 take-home pay has the buying power of $34,738 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,558
52% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,997
67% 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 less concentrated in Worcester, MA than nationally (location quotient 0.59), so openings may be scarcer.

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

Worcester, MA ranks #82 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
82Worcester, MA$44,080$35,614$34,738

*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 Massachusetts

Frequently asked questions

How much does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand make in Worcester, MA?

The median laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary in the Worcester, MA metro area is $44,080 a year, or about $21.19 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $37,960 and $49,560.

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

On the median $44,080 salary, a single filer living in Massachusetts takes home about $35,614 a year ($2,968 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,984 in Massachusetts taxes in 2026.

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

Pay here is 10% above the national median of $40,240. Local prices are 2.5% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $34,738 would in a typical U.S. city. Worcester, MA ranks #82 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 Worcester, MA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Worcester, MA is $1,558 a month ($1,997 for two bedrooms) — 52% 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%.

Related jobs in Worcester, MA

Cost of living & all salaries in Worcester, MA →