USA Career Guide- Hand Laborers and Material Movers
Education needed to be Hand Laborers and Material Mover
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.
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.
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.
Pay of Hand Laborers and Material Movers
The median annual wage of hand laborers and material movers was $22,560 in May 2010. 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
Job Prospects of Hand Laborers and Material Movers
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. 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.
Industrial Overview of Hand Laborers and Material Movers
Hand laborers and material movers held about 3.3 million jobs in 2010. They work in a variety of industries. The work of hand laborers and material movers is usually repetitive and physically demanding. Workers may lift and carry heavy objects. They bend, kneel, crouch, or crawl in awkward positions.