# Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand

US SOC code 53-7062. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/53-7062

Also called: Warehouse worker, Material handler, Warehouse associate, Freight handler, Stock handler.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **2,950,280** US hand laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, with median pay of **$40,240** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **3,008,300**, in May 2023, close to the May 2025 count. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/9050occup.shtml) of **220,000** from 1870, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era in this work: Amazon acquires Kiva Systems, 2012 to 2020.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=53-7062&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **6%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.85** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.85. BLS counted **2,284,650** of these jobs in May 2013 and **2,950,280** in May 2025 (+29%, a change derived by Future History).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1820
- Latest US employment: 2,950,280 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $40,240 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [8]
- Outlook: +1.8% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [25]

### All 31 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1870 | 220,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., IPUMS USA [1] |
| 1900 | 500,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., IPUMS USA [1] |
| 1935 | 700,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., US National Archives [2] |
| 1956 | 900,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., US Bureau of the Census [3] |
| 1970 | n/a | $5,600 (estimate) | Est., BLS Historical Wage Data [6] |
| 1980 | 1,500,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook [4] |
| 1990 | n/a | $16,000 (estimate) | Est., BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook [7] |
| 2000 | 2,100,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook [4] |
| 2003 | 2,255,780 | $19,930 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 2,390,910 | $20,120 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 2,363,960 | $20,610 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 2,372,130 | $21,220 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 2,363,440 | $21,900 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 2,335,510 | $22,660 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 2,135,790 | $23,110 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 2,024,180 | $23,460 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 2,063,580 | $23,750 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 2,143,940 | $23,890 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 2,284,650 | $23,970 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 2,400,490 | $24,430 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 2,487,680 | $25,010 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 2,587,900 | $25,980 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 2,711,320 | $27,040 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 2,893,180 | $28,260 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 2,953,170 | $29,510 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 2,805,200 | $31,120 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 2,729,010 | $31,230 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 2,934,050 | $36,110 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 3,008,300 | $37,660 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 2,982,530 | $38,940 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 2,950,280 | $40,240 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (95)

### Employment series

1. [IPUMS USA — 1870 Census occupational data; "Laborers, except farm and mine" historical category; ILA history as proxy for dock-labor scale](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/9050occup.shtml), IPUMS / University of Minnesota
2. [US National Archives — Records of the Work Projects Administration (Record Group 69): administrative, employment, and project files 1930-1944](https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/069.html), US National Archives
3. [US Bureau of the Census — 1950 Census occupational data; "Longshoremen and stevedores" plus warehouse labor categories; containerization timeline context](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1953/dec/population-vol-04.html), US Bureau of the Census
4. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Freight and Material Handlers (1980-81 edition, historical employment context); ILA history on dock mechanization](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/hand-laborers-and-material-movers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

6. [BLS Historical Wage Data — general laborer/freight handler wage context circa 1970; inflation adjustment via BLS CPI-U calculator (1970 to 2024)](https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
7. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Freight and material handlers (1990 edition, wage context); inflation adjustment via BLS CPI-U calculator (1990 to 2024)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/hand-laborers-and-material-movers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
8. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

9. [International Longshoremen's Association — ILA history: founding 1864, dock labor in the 19th century](https://ilaunion.org/ila-history/), International Longshoremen's Association
10. [IPUMS USA — 1870 Census occupational categories: "Longshoremen and stevedores" (code 8400), general laborers series](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/9050occup.shtml), IPUMS / University of Minnesota
11. [Clark Equipment Company — Clark forklift history: Tructractor (1917, first internal combustion industrial truck), WWII military supply production](https://clarktheforklift.com/history/), Clark Equipment Company
12. [Nature's Packaging (National Wooden Pallet & Container Association) — "Innovation during Crisis: Wood Pallets and Packaging during WW2" (Quartermaster Corps and Navy pallet-size standardization, 1943-1944)](https://naturespackaging.org/innovation-during-crisis-wood-pallets-and-packaging-during-ww2/), Nature's Packaging / National Wooden Pallet & Container Association
13. [Library of Congress — "The Box That Changed the World": Malcom McLean and the invention of the shipping container (April 26, 1956)](https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667015/), Library of Congress
14. [OSHA — Powered Industrial Trucks standard 29 CFR 1910.178 (established June 27, 1974, 39 FR 23502; operator certification requirements)](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.178), Occupational Safety and Health Administration
15. [Walmart Corporate History — Sam Walton's distribution center network and logistics innovation (1970s-1980s)](https://corporate.walmart.com/about/history), Walmart Inc.
16. [Smithsonian National Museum of American History — "Making the Modern American Fiscal State": UPC barcode first scan June 26, 1974 (Marsh supermarket, Troy OH)](https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1394024), Smithsonian National Museum of American History
17. [Manhattan Associates — Our Story and Timeline: company founding 1990, early WMS development for RF scanner era, engineered labor standards](https://www.manh.com/about-us/our-story-and-timeline), Manhattan Associates
18. [Wikipedia — Amazon Robotics: acquisition of Kiva Systems for $775M in March 2012; rebranded Amazon Robotics LLC in August 2015](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Robotics), Wikipedia
19. [About Amazon — How Amazon Deploys Robots in Its Operations Facilities: more than 750,000 mobile robots across worldwide operations](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/operations/how-amazon-deploys-robots-in-its-operations-facilities), Amazon
20. [US Census Bureau — Quarterly E-Commerce Sales: Q2 2020 e-commerce +44.5% year-over-year (August 2020 release)](https://www.census.gov/retail/mrts/www/data/pdf/ec_current.pdf), US Census Bureau
21. [Amazon — Amazon has hired 175,000 additional people amid COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020)](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-has-hired-175-000-additional-people), Amazon
22. [BLS National Employment Matrix — 53-7062 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand (2024-34 projections: +1.5%, 44,300 net new jobs)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=53-7062&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
23. [Symbotic — Autonomous case-handling robotics for wholesale distribution; Walmart DC deployment; $5.5B IPO valuation (2022)](https://www.symbotic.com/solutions/), Symbotic
24. [IEEE Spectrum — "Why Warehouse Robots Still Need Human Help" (2023): pick-and-place dexterity limits for varied-SKU environments](https://spectrum.ieee.org/warehouse-robots), IEEE Spectrum

### Forecasts and exposure studies

25. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 53-7062 Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand (2025: 2,940.3 thousand; 2035: 2,991.9 thousand; +1.8%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=53-7062&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
26. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 53-7062 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand: probability 0.85, rank 483 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
27. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 53-7062.00, human-rated β 0.06)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

28. [International Longshoremen's Association — ILA founding history (1864, New York Harbor; shape-up system, early demands)](https://ilaunion.org/ila-history/), International Longshoremen's Association
29. [Wikipedia — Sears, Roebuck and Company Complex: North Lawndale Chicago, 1906 mail-order campus, 9,290 employees in first full year, world's largest commercial building when completed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears,_Roebuck_and_Company_Complex), Wikipedia
30. [ILWU — International Longshore and Warehouse Union history: 1934 West Coast strike, "Bloody Thursday," hiring hall origins](https://www.ilwu.org/history/), International Longshore and Warehouse Union
31. [Library of Congress — "The Box That Changed the World": Malcom McLean and the invention of the shipping container (April 26, 1956)](https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667015/), Library of Congress
32. [OSHA — Powered Industrial Trucks standard 29 CFR 1910.178 (established June 27, 1974; 39 FR 23502; operator certification requirements)](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.178), Occupational Safety and Health Administration
33. [Wikipedia — Amazon Robotics: acquisition of Kiva Systems for $775M in March 2012; Amazon's second-largest acquisition at the time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Robotics), Wikipedia
34. [US Census Bureau — Quarterly E-Commerce Sales: Q2 2020 +44.5% year-over-year (largest quarterly gain in recorded data series)](https://www.census.gov/retail/mrts/www/data/pdf/ec_current.pdf), US Census Bureau
35. [BLS National Employment Matrix — 53-7062 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand (2024 baseline: 2,988.9 thousand; 2024-34 projections)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=53-7062&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Predecessors & successors

36. [IPUMS USA — historical Census occupational mobility; Great Migration context (agricultural laborers to urban freight/warehouse)](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/9050occup.shtml), IPUMS / University of Minnesota
37. [ILA — International Longshoremen's Association history: dock labor organizing, displaced workers and inland warehouse labor](https://ilaunion.org/ila-history/), International Longshoremen's Association
38. [O\*NET — 53-7062.00 related occupations; military occupational specialty crosswalk for logistics/supply MOS codes](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/53-7062.00), O\*NET / USDOL
39. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Hand Laborers and Material Movers: career advancement and related occupations](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/hand-laborers-and-material-movers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Present-day analysis

- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Hand Laborers and Material Movers (2024–2034)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/hand-laborers-and-material-movers.htm), accessed 2026-05-28
- [O\*NET 30.3 — Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand (53-7062.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/53-7062.00), accessed 2026-05-28
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-28
- [Frey & Osborne 2013 — The Future of Employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation? (~0.85 probability)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), accessed 2026-05-28
- [Bloomberg — Amazon robot count exceeds 750,000 units, largest warehouse robotics deployment in history (2024)](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-02/amazon-says-it-has-more-than-750-000-robots-working-alongside-its-employees), accessed 2026-05-28
- [Amazon.com, Inc. — 8-K/EX-99.1 press release: Amazon to acquire Kiva Systems for approximately $775M (2012)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000119312512122135/d318297dex991.htm), accessed 2026-06-21
- [McKinsey Global Institute — A Future That Works: Automation, Employment, and Productivity (2017)](https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/digital-disruption/harnessing-automation-for-a-future-that-works), accessed 2026-05-28
- [Goldman Sachs — The Jobs AI Is Likely to Boost and Those It May Disrupt (2025)](https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/the-jobs-ai-is-likely-to-boost-and-those-it-may-disrupt), accessed 2026-05-28
- [Symbotic IPO S-1 filing — autonomous case-handling robotics platform, $5.5B valuation (2022)](https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=symbotic&type=S-1), accessed 2026-05-28
- [IEEE Spectrum — Why Warehouse Robots Still Need Human Help for Varied-SKU Picking (2023)](https://spectrum.ieee.org/warehouse-robots), accessed 2026-05-28
- [Locus Robotics — AMR co-robot systems achieve 2–3× pick rate improvement vs. traditional walking picks (2023)](https://www.locusrobotics.com/solutions/warehouse-picking), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Berkshire Grey — AI-enabled robotic sortation and order fulfillment systems (2023)](https://www.berkshiregrey.com/solutions/), accessed 2026-05-28

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.