GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Best States to Be a Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary goes furthest in North Dakota — a $45,690 BLS median worth $51,361 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 124.7).
Which US states are best for a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand after cost of living and tax?
For a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks North Dakota #1: a $45,690 BLS median becomes $51,361 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 124.7). New Jersey ranks last ($35,728, index 86.8). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
North Dakota ranks #1 of 51 states for a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand. Index 100 = the average state; 124.7 means pay goes 24.7% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedLaborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $45,690 | — | 89.0 | $51,361 | 124.7 |
| 2 | Iowa | $43,490 | $1,613 | 87.8 | $47,717 | 115.9 |
| 3 | Nebraska | $42,910 | $1,144 | 90.1 | $46,354 | 112.6 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $44,610 | $1,212 | 94.1 | $46,121 | 112.0 |
| 5 | Kentucky | $42,770 | $1,580 | 90.2 | $45,686 | 110.9 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $46,280 | $1,676 | 98.6 | $45,228 | 109.8 |
| 7 | Montana | $43,840 | $1,448 | 94.6 | $44,790 | 108.8 |
| 8 | South Dakota | $38,980 | — | 88.6 | $44,002 | 106.9 |
| 9 | Alaska | $44,510 | — | 102.4 | $43,484 | 105.6 |
| 10 | Arizona | $44,290 | $632 | 100.7 | $43,364 | 105.3 |
| 11 | Washington | $46,190 | — | 107.0 | $43,163 | 104.8 |
| 12 | Kansas | $40,250 | $1,446 | 90.1 | $43,083 | 104.6 |
| 13 | Indiana | $41,340 | $1,210 | 93.3 | $42,998 | 104.4 |
| 14 | Colorado | $45,370 | $1,336 | 103.1 | $42,730 | 103.8 |
| 15 | Maine | $42,640 | $1,304 | 97.0 | $42,592 | 103.4 |
| 16 | Ohio | $39,460 | $303 | 92.8 | $42,207 | 102.5 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $42,480 | $1,304 | 97.6 | $42,200 | 102.5 |
| 18 | Missouri | $39,080 | $956 | 90.8 | $41,979 | 101.9 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $38,160 | — | 91.9 | $41,537 | 100.9 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $38,330 | — | 92.7 | $41,352 | 100.4 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $43,640 | $1,039 | 103.6 | $41,117 | 99.9 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $36,400 | $796 | 87.0 | $40,946 | 99.4 |
| 23 | Utah | $42,370 | $1,928 | 98.9 | $40,907 | 99.3 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $36,990 | $1,219 | 87.8 | $40,721 | 98.9 |
| 25 | Idaho | $39,900 | $1,152 | 95.5 | $40,576 | 98.5 |
| 26 | Massachusetts | $44,920 | $2,026 | 105.8 | $40,559 | 98.5 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $42,110 | — | 104.2 | $40,426 | 98.2 |
| 28 | Oregon | $44,750 | $3,112 | 103.4 | $40,284 | 97.8 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $36,990 | $999 | 89.5 | $40,215 | 97.7 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $45,740 | $1,644 | 109.9 | $40,123 | 97.4 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $35,920 | $1,192 | 86.9 | $39,946 | 97.0 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $41,690 | $963 | 102.3 | $39,819 | 96.7 |
| 33 | California | $44,710 | $800 | 110.7 | $39,658 | 96.3 |
| 34 | New York | $44,630 | $1,850 | 107.9 | $39,640 | 96.3 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $37,230 | $681 | 92.2 | $39,636 | 96.3 |
| 36 | Alabama | $36,670 | $1,569 | 88.8 | $39,518 | 96.0 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $38,230 | $1,083 | 94.3 | $39,382 | 95.6 |
| 38 | Nevada | $39,350 | — | 100.0 | $39,358 | 95.6 |
| 39 | Vermont | $39,390 | $901 | 98.0 | $39,292 | 95.4 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $35,340 | $685 | 88.2 | $39,288 | 95.4 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $37,530 | $720 | 93.7 | $39,265 | 95.4 |
| 42 | Michigan | $38,860 | $1,405 | 96.2 | $38,928 | 94.5 |
| 43 | Illinois | $40,550 | $1,866 | 100.0 | $38,700 | 94.0 |
| 44 | Texas | $37,540 | — | 97.1 | $38,678 | 93.9 |
| 45 | Georgia | $38,480 | $1,427 | 96.3 | $38,479 | 93.4 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $44,120 | $1,861 | 110.0 | $38,435 | 93.3 |
| 47 | Maryland | $41,600 | $1,643 | 105.0 | $38,069 | 92.5 |
| 48 | Virginia | $39,380 | $1,465 | 101.1 | $37,501 | 91.1 |
| 49 | Florida | $38,160 | — | 103.4 | $36,900 | 89.6 |
| 50 | Delaware | $37,320 | $1,394 | 99.8 | $35,995 | 87.4 |
| 51 | New Jersey | $39,540 | $666 | 108.8 | $35,728 | 86.8 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In North Dakota, a $45,690 salary is worth about $50,077 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $1,142 (≈ top marginal 2.50% (upper bound)) · take-home $44,548 · BEA cost of living 89.0 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $51,577, a $1,500 gain over North Dakota.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $51,577 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $50,506 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $50,245 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $50,234 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $50,083 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $50,077 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $49,733 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $49,543 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $49,293 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $48,867 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $48,650 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $48,591 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, North Dakota is the best state for a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand: a BLS median of $45,690 is worth $51,361 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 89.0), an index of 124.7 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Minnesota has the highest headline BLS median for a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand at $46,280, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #6 of 51 on real pay (index 109.8). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand salary go least far?
- New Jersey ranks last of 51 states for a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand: a $39,540 BLS median is worth only $35,728 after tax and cost of living (index 86.8). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
- Home Health and Personal Care AidesWashington
- Retail SalespersonsNorth Dakota
- Fast Food and Counter WorkersCalifornia
- General and Operations ManagersSouth Dakota
- Registered NursesCalifornia
- CashiersWashington
- Stockers and Order FillersWyoming
- Customer Service RepresentativesIowa
- Office Clerks, GeneralNorth Dakota
- Waiters and WaitressesVermont
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping CleanersWashington
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck DriversAlaska
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Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.