Generally, hand laborers and material movers need no work experience or minimum level of education. Employers require only that applicants be physically able to do the work.
Education
Some employers may prefer to hire workers who have a high school diploma, although it is generally not required for these jobs.
Training
Most of these positions require less than 1 month of on-the-job training. Some workers need only a few days of training. Certain hand freight, stock, and material movers and refuse and recyclable material collectors have up to 3 months of training. Most training is done by a supervisor or a more experienced worker who decides when trainees are ready to work on their own.
Workers learn a safety rules as part of their training. Many of these rules are standardized through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Workers who handle hazardous materials receive additional training.
Licenses
Depending on the size of the truck, refuse and recyclable material collectors who drive the truck may have to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Getting a CDL requires passing written, skills, and vision tests.
Advancement
Many of these workers advance to other jobs. Some become material-moving machine operators; others become construction laborers or production workers. In warehousing or retail, experienced workers can move to other parts of the company, such as sales.
Important Qualities
Customer service skills. Laborers and material handlers who work with the public, such as grocery baggers or carwash attendants, must be pleasant and courteous to customers.
Listening skills. Laborers and material movers often need to follow instructions that a supervisor gives them.
Physical strength. Some workers must be able to lift heavy objects throughout the day.
Pay
Hand Laborers and Material Movers
Median annual wages, May 2010
Total, All Occupations
$33,840
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
$28,400
Hand Laborers and Material Movers
$22,560
All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
The median annual wage of hand laborers and material movers was $22,560 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $16,600, and the top 10 percent earned more than $37,700 in May 2010.
The median wages of hand laborers and material moving occupations in May 2010 were the following:
$32,640 for refuse and recyclable material collectors
$27,000 for machine feeders and offbearers
$23,460 for laborers and hand freight, stock, and material movers
$19,680 for cleaners of vehicles and equipment
$19,630 for hand packers and packagers
Most hand laborers and material movers work full time. In addition, most work 8-hour shifts, although longer shifts and overtime are common. Because materials are shipped around the clock, some workers, especially those in warehousing, work overnight shifts.
Job Outlook
Hand Laborers and Material Movers
Percent change in employment, projected 2010-20
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
15%
Total, All Occupations
14%
Hand Laborers and Material Movers
14%
All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
Overall employment of hand laborers and material movers is projected to grow 14 percent from 2010 to 2020, as fast as the average of all occupations.
Projected employment change for specific groups of workers within this occupation is as follows:
Employment of refuse and recyclable material collectors is expected to grow 20 percent from 2010 to 2020. Trash collection will continue to grow as population and income grow, and collectors will be needed to remove trash. An increase in recycling collection is expected to drive the rapid growth of this occupation.
Employment of cleaners of vehicles and equipment is projected to increase 19 percent from 2010 to 2020. Faster than average growth in automobile dealers, where many of these workers are employed is expected to drive employment growth for this occupation. However, a decline in the use of full-service carwashes in favor of automatic conveyors may to limit their job growth somewhat.
Employment of laborers and hand, freight, stock, and material movers is projected to increase by 15 percent from 2010 to 2020. The need for warehouses is expected to grow as consumer spending increases. However, greater automation will increase the efficiency of hand material movers. Most warehouses are installing equipment, such as high-speed conveyors and sorting systems and robotic pickers, that decreases the number of workers needed.
Employment of hand packers and packagers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2010 to 2020. A decline in the use of baggers in grocery stores, where many workers are employed, is expected to dampen growth in this occupation. An increase in the use of self-service technology, such as self-checkout, and the growing number of cashiers who also bag groceries are contributing to the decline in baggers. However, those employed in warehouses are expected to see some employment growth.
Employment of machine feeders and offbearers is expected to experience little or no change from 2010 to 2020. They are heavily employed in declining manufacturing industries in which automation is further decreasing the need for these workers. Additionally, other workers who operate the machines are increasingly doing the tasks of these workers.
Job Prospects
Job prospects for hand laborers and material movers should be favorable. Despite slower growth in these occupations, the need to replace workers who leave the occupations should create a large number of job openings. As automation increases, the technology used by workers in some of these occupations will become more complex. Employers will likely prefer workers who are comfortable using technology such as tablet computers and handheld scanners.
Employment projections data for hand laborers and material movers, 2010-20
Occupational Title SOC Code Employment, 2010 Projected Employment, 2020 Change, 2010-20 Employment by Industry
Percent Numeric
Hand Laborers and Material Movers
— 3,315,400 3,780,900 14 465,500 —
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment
53-7061 310,600 370,800 19 60,100
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
53-7062 2,068,200 2,387,300 15 319,100
Machine Feeders and Offbearers
53-7063 119,400 119,600 0 100
Packers and Packagers, Hand