What Does a Mover Do?
Careful movers pad first and lift second. Movers pack, carry and load household goods, office furniture and lab equipment for moving companies and for the facilities crews at hospitals, universities and other large employers, usually with a lead mover running the job. Summer is the busiest season.
Also known as: Lead Mover
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Laborer, Loader, Material Handler, Merchandise Pick Up Associate, Merchandise Receiving Associate, Receiver, Receiving Associate, Shipping and Receiving Materials Handler.
Mover Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a mover include:
- Wrap furniture in pads and stretch wrap, and protect floors, doorframes and banisters before a move.
- Pack dishes, books, files and lab supplies into labeled boxes that match the room plan.
- Take apart desks, beds and shelving, bag the hardware, and rebuild each piece at the new site.
- Load the truck tightly and tie loads off with straps so nothing shifts in transit.
- Carry heavy items up and down stairs with lifting straps, dollies and a partner.
- Move pianos, safes and filing cabinets with specialty dollies, boards and ramps.
- Walk through with the customer at both ends to agree on what goes where.
- Record damage on the inventory sheet, and get the customer's signature at delivery.
- Direct a small crew as lead mover, assigning rooms and checking the truck before it leaves.
- Clean and stow blankets, dollies and tools so the truck is ready for the next job.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a mover, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Strength, stamina and safe lifting technique
- Packing and padding methods that prevent damage
- Team lifting and clear calls on stairs
- Basic tool use for taking furniture apart
- Truck loading and tie-down skills
- Courtesy with customers during a stressful day
- Driver's license, plus a CDL for larger trucks at some firms
- Reliability for early starts and long days
Education and Training
Crew experience could lead to a crew chief post. Although no diploma is required, most companies train new movers on the job for a few days to a few weeks, covering lifting, padding and truck loading. Firms that run big trucks may pay for drivers to earn a CDL.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $36,090 - $46,920 per year, with a median of $40,240.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.
According to BLS, employment of laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, the hand-moving group that includes movers, is projected to grow about 2 percent from 2025 to 2035. Growth is slow, but the group is so large that BLS still expects about 340,500 openings a year. Summer is the rush, as families try to settle in before school starts.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand.
Mover Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $31,270 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $36,090 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $40,240 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $46,920 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $55,140 |
Highest-Paying States for Movers
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Minnesota ($46,280), Washington ($46,190), District of Columbia ($45,740), North Dakota ($45,690), Colorado ($45,370). Pay is lowest in Mississippi ($36,400), Arkansas ($35,920), Louisiana ($35,340).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $36,670 |
| Alaska | $44,510 |
| Arizona | $44,290 |
| Arkansas | $35,920 |
| California | $44,710 |
| Colorado | $45,370 |
| Connecticut | $43,640 |
| Delaware | $37,320 |
| District of Columbia | $45,740 |
| Florida | $38,160 |
| Georgia | $38,480 |
| Hawaii | $44,120 |
| Idaho | $39,900 |
| Illinois | $40,550 |
| Indiana | $41,340 |
| Iowa | $43,490 |
| Kansas | $40,250 |
| Kentucky | $42,770 |
| Louisiana | $35,340 |
| Maine | $42,640 |
| Maryland | $41,600 |
| Massachusetts | $44,920 |
| Michigan | $38,860 |
| Minnesota | $46,280 |
| Mississippi | $36,400 |
| Missouri | $39,080 |
| Montana | $43,840 |
| Nebraska | $42,910 |
| Nevada | $39,350 |
| New Hampshire | $42,110 |
| New Jersey | $39,540 |
| New Mexico | $37,230 |
| New York | $44,630 |
| North Carolina | $38,230 |
| North Dakota | $45,690 |
| Ohio | $39,460 |
| Oklahoma | $36,990 |
| Oregon | $44,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,480 |
| Rhode Island | $41,690 |
| South Carolina | $37,530 |
| South Dakota | $38,980 |
| Tennessee | $38,160 |
| Texas | $37,540 |
| Utah | $42,370 |
| Vermont | $39,390 |
| Virginia | $39,380 |
| Washington | $46,190 |
| West Virginia | $36,990 |
| Wisconsin | $44,610 |
| Wyoming | $38,330 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 86% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
- 81% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 80% wear safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses or a hard hat every day
- 76% work outdoors in all kinds of weather every day
- 76% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 62% usually work more than 40 hours a week
- 58% deal with loud or distracting noise every day
Tools and Software Movers Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Coordination, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring.
Knowledge areas used most: Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, Transportation, Production and Processing.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 2 of 5, which means some preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for a Mover Job
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 53-7062.00 (Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.