Material handler salary

Q: How much does a material handler make?

The average material handler salary in the United States is $33,215. Material handler salaries typically range between $26,000 and $41,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for material handlers is $15.97 per hour. Material handler salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Material handlers earn the highest average salary in Minnesota.

Q: What state pays Material Handlers the most?

Minnesota pays Material Handlers the most in the United States, with an average salary of $42,226 per year, or $20.30 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a material handler?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a material handler if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Minnesota you should be paid close to $38,144 per year.

Q: What is a good starting salary for a Material Handler?

A good starting salary for a material handler is $27,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a material handler in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for material handlers is $32,678, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a material handler can vary by state.

Q: How much do material handlers make per hour?

Material handlers make about $15.74 per hour. Some who work as material handlers can earn between $13 an hour to $30 an hour, depending on the location and the type of company. Top Companies for Material Handlers in the United States:

Q: How much does a material handler make at Coca-Cola?

A material handler at Coca-Cola makes approximately $19.19 an hour. This is 28% above the national average. The range in pay for a Coca-Cola handler ranges between $10 to $24 an hour, depending on the number of years of experience and the location.

Q: How much does a material handler make at SpaceX?

A material handler at SpaceX makes approximately $39,723 a year. This is 24% above the national average. The range in pay for a SpaceX handler ranges as low as $33,280 to as high as $83,930 a year, depending on the number of years of experience and the location.

Q: How much money does a material handler make?

A material handler makes $29,028 a year ($13.96 an hour). The range, however, can be as high as $84,000 a year to as low as $18,500 a year. Factors such as the location of the position, number of years of experience, and the type of material hanger position all impact the earning potential of material handlers.

Average material handler salary

$15.97

$33,215 yearly

Entry-level material handler salary

$26,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Material Handler Salaries

Material handlers are essential for maintaining efficient operations in warehouses and distribution centers. As of October 2025, the average salary for a material handler stands at $33,215 annually or about $16 per hour. Salaries can vary widely based on factors such as experience level, geographic location, and the industry in which one is employed.

For instance, entry-level material handlers might earn closer to $28,000 annually, while those with several years of experience can command salaries exceeding $40,000. In states like California and New York, where the cost of living is higher, salaries for material handlers tend to be above the national average. Conversely, regions with lower living costs may offer lower wages.

Opportunities for advancement exist, with roles in management or specialized positions often offering higher compensation. Additionally, companies in sectors such as manufacturing and transportation typically pay higher wages than retail or food service environments. Understanding these dynamics can help you strategize your career development and pursue positions that provide better pay and benefits.

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Where can a Material Handler earn more?

Compare salary by location

63k

43k

23k

Columbus, OH$38,154

Florence, KY$32,668

Compare salary by company

70k

50k

30k

10k

Battelle$47,256

Bayer$40,437

Material handler salaries by experience level

Material handler salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Indeed, Glassdoor and Comparably, the average salary for a material handler typically falls between $28,428 and $43,664.

zippia

$33,215yearly

glassdoor[1]

$43,664yearly

indeed[2]

$37,419yearly

comparably[3]

$28,428yearly

Average material handler salary by state

The average material handler salary in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average material handler salary states are Arkansas, New Mexico, and Mississippi.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for material handlers

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Wisconsin	$37,294	$17.93
2	Minnesota	$38,144	$18.34
3	North Dakota	$36,004	$17.31
4	Iowa	$35,428	$17.03
5	Pennsylvania	$34,542	$16.61
6	Indiana	$34,383	$16.53
7	Ohio	$34,394	$16.54
8	Kansas	$34,393	$16.54
9	Massachusetts	$36,368	$17.48
10	Vermont	$36,258	$17.43
11	Michigan	$33,966	$16.33
12	Washington	$36,638	$17.61
13	Oregon	$36,225	$17.42
14	Rhode Island	$34,751	$16.71
15	Nebraska	$35,428	$17.03
16	Wyoming	$35,728	$17.18
17	New Hampshire	$34,304	$16.49
18	District of Columbia	$42,226	$20.30
19	Maine	$34,547	$16.61
20	Illinois	$34,101	$16.39
21	Nevada	$33,384	$16.05
22	Colorado	$35,795	$17.21
23	Kentucky	$32,146	$15.45
24	California	$35,015	$16.83
25	Utah	$33,083	$15.91
26	New Jersey	$33,590	$16.15
27	New York	$35,282	$16.96
28	Maryland	$34,021	$16.36
29	Missouri	$33,108	$15.92
30	South Dakota	$32,988	$15.86
31	Hawaii	$35,606	$17.12
32	Tennessee	$30,116	$14.48
33	Alaska	$33,950	$16.32
34	Arizona	$31,571	$15.18
35	Connecticut	$33,176	$15.95
36	West Virginia	$32,072	$15.42
37	Idaho	$31,493	$15.14
38	Delaware	$33,419	$16.07
39	Oklahoma	$31,626	$15.20
40	Georgia	$29,962	$14.40
41	Montana	$31,683	$15.23
42	North Carolina	$29,651	$14.26
43	Mississippi	$28,268	$13.59
44	Arkansas	$29,402	$14.14
45	Texas	$29,950	$14.40
46	South Carolina	$29,554	$14.21
47	Virginia	$31,001	$14.90
48	Florida	$27,780	$13.36
49	Alabama	$27,321	$13.14
50	New Mexico	$28,497	$13.70
51	Louisiana	$26,605	$12.79

Top material handler jobs near you

Highest paying cities for material handlers

The highest-paying cities for material handlers are Minneapolis, MN, Milwaukee, WI, and Tacoma, WA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Minneapolis, MN	$38,154	$18.34
2	Milwaukee, WI	$37,328	$17.95
3	Tacoma, WA	$36,798	$17.69
4	Hillsboro, OR	$36,209	$17.41
5	Richmond, CA	$35,789	$17.21
6	Denver, CO	$35,775	$17.20
7	Fremont, NE	$35,573	$17.10
8	Allentown, PA	$34,731	$16.70
9	Kansas City, KS	$34,654	$16.66
10	Portland, ME	$34,592	$16.63
11	Richmond, IN	$34,390	$16.53
12	Chicago, IL	$34,188	$16.44
13	Columbus, OH	$34,145	$16.42
14	Baltimore, MD	$34,093	$16.39
15	Reno, NV	$34,066	$16.38
16	Grand Rapids, MI	$33,921	$16.31
17	Plainfield, NJ	$33,624	$16.17
18	Saint Louis, MO	$33,255	$15.99
19	Salt Lake City, UT	$33,099	$15.91
20	Florence, KY	$32,668	$15.71

Material Handlers are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Material handler salary details

A material handler's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $41,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average material handler salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a material handler's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$41,000	$3,417	$20
75th Percentile	$37,000	$3,083	$18
Average	$33,215	$2,768	$16
25th Percentile	$29,000	$2,417	$14
10th Percentile	$26,000	$2,167	$13

Highest paying material handler jobs

The highest paying types of material handlers are material handler lead, material handler/forklift operator, and driver/material handler.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Dock Worker	$36,027	$3,002	$17.32	119,104
Forklift Operator	$34,213	$2,851	$16.45	213,020
Warehouse Labour	$31,746	$2,646	$15.26	218,654
Forklift Driver	$33,476	$2,790	$16.09	116,516
Lift Operator	$32,309	$2,692	$15.53	72,445
Warehouse Machine Operator	$33,796	$2,816	$16.25	229,051

Top companies hiring material handlers now:

Which companies pay material handlers the most?

Material handler salaries at Battelle and Mar-Jac Poultry are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average material handler salary at companies like Steel Dynamics and Ball are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Battelle	$47,256	$22.72
2	Mar-Jac Poultry	$43,425	$20.88
3	Steel Dynamics	$42,362	$20.37
4	Ball	$41,628	$20.01
5	Oracle	$41,600	$20.00
6	Freeport-McMoRan	$41,341	$19.88
7	Nestlé	$41,276	$19.84
8	BD	$40,996	$19.71
9	Vestas Blades America	$40,973	$19.70
10	Metals USA	$40,926	$19.68
11	Uline	$40,855	$19.64
12	Schneider Electric Industrial Services	$40,761	$19.60
13	John B. Sanfilippo & Son	$40,742	$19.59
14	BioMarin	$40,720	$19.58
15	Scientific Games	$40,635	$19.54
16	Clean Harbors	$40,632	$19.53
17	Astronics	$40,581	$19.51
18	American Woodmark	$40,548	$19.49
19	FLIR Systems	$40,470	$19.46
20	Bayer	$40,437	$19.44

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$34,000$33,600$33,200$32,800$32,400$32,000

MaleFemale

Material Handler salary by industry

The average material handler salary varies across industries:

The average material handler salary in the automotive industry is $36,166, the highest of any industry.
The average material handler salary in the finance industry is $35,365.
Material handlers in the transportation industry earn an average salary of $32,849, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for material handlers

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Automotive	$36,166	$17.39
2	Technology	$35,365	$17.00
3	Manufacturing	$35,009	$16.83
4	Retail	$33,203	$15.96
5	Transportation	$32,849	$15.79

High paying material handler jobs

Material handler salary trends

The average material handler salary has risen by $7,866 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average material handler earned $25,349 annually, but today, they earn $33,215 a year. That works out to a 20% change in pay for material handlers over the last decade.

Compare material handler salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average material handler salary over time

Compare material handler salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Material handler salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$33,200	$15.97	+5.2%
2024	$31,500	$15.14	+4.2%
2023	$30,200	$14.50	+4.3%
2022	$28,900	$13.88	+3.9%
2021	$27,700	$13.33	+3.7%

Recently added material handler salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Clorox	Material Handler (2ND Shift)	Morrisville, NC	06/30/2025	$40,926
Avantor	Material Handler-Inventory Control	Henrietta, NY	06/30/2025	$37,500
CMA CGM Group	Material Handler/Operator II	Las Vegas, NV	06/30/2025	$33,246
Bayer Cropscience Ltd.	Material Handler-Saxonburg-Night Shift PM AM-M4	Saxonburg, PA	06/30/2025	$36,523
Philips Healthcare	Material Handler-1St. Shift	Colorado Springs, CO	06/30/2025	$37,044
Smithfieldfoods	Material Handler-1St. and 2Nd Shift	Sioux City, IA	06/30/2025	$42,053
Uponor	Material Handler-Days	Apple Valley, MN	06/30/2025	$42,784
Blue Origin	Material Handler II (Weekday Night Shift) B Shift	Arlington, WA	06/30/2025	$47,208
Hyve Solutions	MFG Material Handler III	Fremont, CA	06/30/2025	$45,914
American Electric Power	Material Handler B	Fort Wayne, IN	06/29/2025	$54,158