State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Packer and Packager, Hand Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Packers and Packagers, Hand is $36,280 a year ($17.44/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 5.4% through 2034, with about 74,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
SOC 53-7064Transportation and Material MovingLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $36,280
- Projected growth
- -5.4%
- Openings a year
- 74,000
- Typical education
- No formal credential
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Bagger, Crater, Mini Shifter, Pack Out Operator, Packager, Packaging Specialist.
How much do Packers and Packagers, Hand make?
10th percentile$27,890
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$32,220
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$36,280
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$43,060
Upper quartile
90th percentile$47,100
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $36,280 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $17.44/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $37,540 |
| People employed | 559,820 |
Versus all US occupations
At $36,280, Packers and Packagers, Hand earn 29% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $14,700 a year.
Versus transportation and material moving occupations
Inside the Transportation and Material Moving group, where the middle occupation pays $58,405, this is 38% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $47,100 or more while the bottom 10% earn $27,890, a gap of 1.7×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 5% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Kansas pays the most at $44,460, and still leads at $49,363 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Packers and Packagers, Hand the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | $44,460 | $49,363 | 9,900 |
| New Jersey | $43,840 | $40,292 | 71,260 |
| Alaska | $41,670 | $40,710 | 560 |
| District of Columbia | $40,910 | $37,224 | 170 |
| Colorado | $40,730 | $39,524 | 4,120 |
| Minnesota | $40,310 | $40,874 | 5,460 |
| Vermont | $39,440 | $40,262 | 810 |
| Washington | $39,220 | $36,650 | 11,940 |
| Nebraska | $38,880 | $43,151 | 3,010 |
| Missouri | $37,670 | $41,479 | 5,910 |
Is Packer and Packager, Hand a growing career?
Packers and Packagers, Hand-5.4%
All US occupations3.1%
-5.4% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Packers and Packagers, Hand to change -5.4% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 32,200 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 74,000 openings are projected each year, 12.5% of the 591,800 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of hand laborers and material movers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of hand laborers and material movers varies by occupation (see table).
Hand laborers and freight, stock, and material movers will still be needed to move materials in many sectors of the economy. However, some warehouses have installed equipment, such as high-speed conveyors and sorting systems, to increase efficiency.
How to become a Packer and Packager, Hand
There are usually no formal educational requirements to become a hand laborer or material mover. They typically learn through on-the-job training that lasts 1 month or less.
| Typical entry-level education | No formal educational credential |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as packers and packagers, hand.
- High School Diploma53.8%
- Less than a High School Diploma32.5%
- Some College Courses13.7%
What does a Packer and Packager, Hand do?
Pack or package by hand a wide variety of products and materials.
Hand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials. Some of these workers feed or remove material to or from machines, clean vehicles, pick up unwanted household goods, and pack materials for moving.
Day-to-day tasks
- Examine and inspect containers, materials, or products to ensure that product quality and packing specifications are met.
- Mark and label containers, container tags, or products, using marking tools.
- Measure, weigh, and count products and materials.
- Record product, packaging, and order information on specified forms and records.
- Assemble, line, and pad cartons, crates, and containers, using hand tools.
- Clean containers, materials, supplies, or work areas, using cleaning solutions and hand tools.
- Obtain, move, and sort products, materials, containers, and orders, using hand tools.
- Seal containers or materials, using glues, fasteners, nails, and hand tools.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Monitoring3.0/5
- Active Listening2.8/5
- Critical Thinking2.8/5
- Reading Comprehension2.6/5
- Speaking2.6/5
- Active Learning2.1/5
- Writing2.0/5
- Mathematics2.0/5
Transferable skills
- Coordination2.6/5
- Quality Control Analysis2.3/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.3/5
- Time Management2.3/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.1/5
- Service Orientation2.1/5
- Operations Monitoring2.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.0/5
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Inventory management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Packer and Packager, Hand?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary5.6
Investigative1.3
Artistic1.5
Social1.4
Enterprising2.3
Conventionalprimary5.4
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Packer and Packager, Hand: frequently asked questions
How much do Packers and Packagers, Hand make?
Packers and Packagers, Hand earn a median of $36,280 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 29% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $17.44/hr. The middle half earn between $32,220 and $43,060. The top 10% earn $47,100 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Packer and Packager, Hand?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Packers and Packagers, Hand, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 53.8% hold high school diploma.
Is Packer and Packager, Hand a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 5.4% over 2024–2034, a loss of 32,200 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 74,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Packer and Packager, Hand do?
Hand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials. A core O*NET task: examine and inspect containers, materials, or products to ensure that product quality and packing specifications are met. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Packers and Packagers, Hand the most?
The highest state medians for Packers and Packagers, Hand are Kansas ($44,460), New Jersey ($43,840), Alaska ($41,670) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Packer and Packager, Hand?
O*NET scores Packers and Packagers, Hand highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.