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Freight Handler salary
Average freight handler salary
$35,944
How much does a freight handler make?
The average freight handler salary in the United States is $35,944. Freight handler salaries typically range between $28,000 and $44,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for freight handlers is $17.28 per hour.
Freight handler salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Freight handlers earn the highest average salary in Alaska.
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Where can a Freight Handler earn more?
Freight Handler Salaries By Experience Level
Freight Handler salary estimates from across the web
Average freight handler salary by state
Highest paying states for freight handlers
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | $44,265 | $21.28 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $41,686 | $20.04 |
| 3 | Maine | $43,518 | $20.92 |
| 4 | Vermont | $45,258 | $21.76 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $44,866 | $21.57 |
| 6 | Iowa | $40,198 | $19.33 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $41,285 | $19.85 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $46,118 | $22.17 |
| 9 | Michigan | $39,713 | $19.09 |
| 10 | New York | $44,818 | $21.55 |
| 11 | Alaska | $46,597 | $22.40 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $41,453 | $19.93 |
| 13 | Illinois | $39,810 | $19.14 |
| 14 | Ohio | $36,526 | $17.56 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $39,583 | $19.03 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $40,965 | $19.69 |
| 17 | Utah | $37,920 | $18.23 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $48,013 | $23.08 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $40,925 | $19.68 |
| 20 | Maryland | $39,616 | $19.05 |
| 21 | Montana | $39,558 | $19.02 |
| 22 | Nevada | $37,186 | $17.88 |
| 23 | Kansas | $36,033 | $17.32 |
| 24 | Arizona | $36,563 | $17.58 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $34,294 | $16.49 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $33,586 | $16.15 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $35,773 | $17.20 |
| 28 | Missouri | $36,142 | $17.38 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $36,463 | $17.53 |
| 30 | Idaho | $34,779 | $16.72 |
| 31 | Delaware | $38,093 | $18.31 |
| 32 | Colorado | $38,198 | $18.36 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $35,060 | $16.86 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $33,806 | $16.25 |
| 35 | Oregon | $34,523 | $16.60 |
| 36 | Washington | $36,109 | $17.36 |
| 37 | Indiana | $32,587 | $15.67 |
| 38 | California | $35,347 | $16.99 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $38,746 | $18.63 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $31,727 | $15.25 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $34,841 | $16.75 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $33,509 | $16.11 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $33,879 | $16.29 |
| 44 | Georgia | $32,292 | $15.53 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $31,935 | $15.35 |
| 46 | Florida | $33,374 | $16.05 |
| 47 | Virginia | $33,900 | $16.30 |
| 48 | Alabama | $31,162 | $14.98 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $32,378 | $15.57 |
| 50 | Texas | $30,888 | $14.85 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $30,311 | $14.57 |
Highest paying cities for freight handlers
The highest-paying cities for freight handlers are Billerica, MA, Buffalo, NY, and Lakeville, MN.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billerica, MA | $46,176 | $22.20 |
| 2 | Buffalo, NY | $44,659 | $21.47 |
| 3 | Lakeville, MN | $44,607 | $21.45 |
| 4 | Madison, WI | $43,902 | $21.11 |
| 5 | Portland, ME | $43,492 | $20.91 |
| 6 | Bethlehem, PA | $42,175 | $20.28 |
| 7 | Fargo, ND | $41,105 | $19.76 |
| 8 | Aurora, IL | $39,809 | $19.14 |
| 9 | Des Moines, IA | $39,690 | $19.08 |
| 10 | Aurora, CO | $38,212 | $18.37 |
| 11 | Sparks, NV | $38,158 | $18.35 |
| 12 | West Valley City, UT | $37,923 | $18.23 |
| 13 | Aberdeen, SD | $36,991 | $17.78 |
| 14 | Saint Charles, MO | $36,426 | $17.51 |
| 15 | Kansas City, KS | $36,285 | $17.44 |
| 16 | Delaware, OH | $36,273 | $17.44 |
| 17 | Kent, WA | $36,151 | $17.38 |
| 18 | Fontana, CA | $34,923 | $16.79 |
| 19 | Portland, OR | $34,543 | $16.61 |
| 20 | Oklahoma City, OK | $33,816 | $16.26 |
Freight Handler salary details
A freight handler's salary ranges from $28,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $44,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a freight handler's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| Average | $35,944 | $2,995 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
Highest paying freight handler jobs
The highest paying types of freight handlers are material handler lead, material handler/forklift operator, and driver/material handler.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mover | $33,187 | $2,766 | $15.96 | 4,222 |
| Dock Worker | $36,027 | $3,002 | $17.32 | 119,104 |
| Loader/Unloader | $31,827 | $2,652 | $15.30 | 67,063 |
| Unloader | $32,885 | $2,740 | $15.81 | 63,202 |
| Warehouseman | $36,022 | $3,002 | $17.32 | 158,488 |
| Loader | $32,820 | $2,735 | $15.78 | 40,008 |
Top companies hiring freight handlers now:
Which companies pay freight handlers the most?
Freight handler salaries at R+L Carriers and Southeastern Freight Lines are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average freight handler salary at companies like Forward Air and Oak Harbor Freight Lines are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R+L Carriers | $40,372 | $19.41 |
| 2 | Southeastern Freight Lines | $39,969 | $19.22 |
| 3 | Forward Air | $39,903 | $19.18 |
| 4 | Oak Harbor Freight Lines | $39,491 | $18.99 |
| 5 | CEVA Logistics | $39,422 | $18.95 |
| 6 | FedEx | $39,290 | $18.89 |
| 7 | Gordon Food Service | $37,356 | $17.96 |
| 8 | PW Companies | $36,642 | $17.62 |
| 9 | Lynden | $35,932 | $17.27 |
| 10 | Amazon | $35,229 | $16.94 |
| 11 | Kaplan Early Learning | $34,884 | $16.77 |
| 12 | CrossCountry Freight Solutions | $34,364 | $16.52 |
| 13 | Boscov's Inc. | $34,046 | $16.37 |
| 14 | Freight Handlers Incorporated | $33,799 | $16.25 |
| 15 | Capstone Logistics | $33,503 | $16.11 |
| 16 | DHI Group | $33,185 | $15.95 |
| 17 | BJ's Wholesale Club | $32,913 | $15.82 |
| 18 | Coastal Pacific Food Distributors | $32,844 | $15.79 |
| 19 | Walmart | $32,615 | $15.68 |
| 20 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $31,897 | $15.34 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Freight Handler salary trends
The average freight handler salary has risen by $8,513 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average freight handler earned $27,431 annually, but today, they earn $35,944 a year. That works out to a 20% change in pay for freight handlers over the last decade.
Compare freight handler salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average freight handler salary over time
Compare freight handler salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Freight Handler salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $35,900 | $17.28 | +5.2% |
| 2024 | $34,100 | $16.39 | +4.2% |
| 2023 | $32,600 | $15.69 | +4.3% |
| 2022 | $31,200 | $15.02 | +3.9% |
| 2021 | $30,000 | $14.43 | +3.7% |
Recently added freight handler salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wal-Mart | Freight Handler-Flex | Plainfield, IN | 12/16/2024 | $35,479 |
| Cheeseman LLC | Freight Handler-Friday-Sunday!) | Enon, OH | 12/16/2024 | $37,566 |
| Gordon Food Service | 2Nd Shift Freight Handler | Grand Rapids, MI | 12/15/2024 | $38,672 |
| Gordon Food Service | 2Nd Shift Freight Handler | Kenosha, WI | 12/15/2024 | $40,488 |
| Southeastern Freight Lines | Inbound Freight Handler | Fort Worth, TX | 12/15/2024 | $36,209 |
| Walmart | Freight Handler | Ione, CA | 12/15/2024 | $33,392 |
| Kansas Action for Children, Inc. | Freight Handler | Ottawa, KS | 12/15/2024 | $45,914 |
| Fedex | Freight Handler | Irvine, CA | 12/14/2024 | $46,144 |
| Alphabroder | Freight Handler Chicago | Bolingbrook, IL | 12/14/2024 | $37,566 |
| Sam's East | (USA) Sam's Loose Freight Handler | Sanger, TX | 12/14/2024 | $41,114 |
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