Also called: Laborers and Material Movers
Material movers build coordination, monitoring and time management skills that production, rail and trade jobs reward. Of the 25 careers below, Packaging and Filling Machine Operators match best at 83%, and 20 of the 25 pay more than the $40,240 median.
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 83% | $43,220 | +7% | None |
| 2 | Helpers--Production Workers | 79% | $39,070 | −3% | None |
| 3 | Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 78% | $48,540 | +21% | None |
| 4 | Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 77% | $68,840 | +71% | None |
| 5 | Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers | 77% | $34,890 | −13% | None |
| 6 | Aircraft Service Attendants | 77% | $40,450 | +1% | None |
| 7 | Hazardous Materials Removal Workers | 77% | $49,450 | +23% | None |
| 8 | Light Truck Drivers | 74% | $44,860 | +11% | None |
| 9 | Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 74% | $38,300 | −5% | None |
| 10 | Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic | 74% | $46,170 | +15% | None |
Compared with Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand, median $40,240. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
Moving freight means working in sync with a crew, watching equipment and hitting tight loading schedules. O*NET rates coordination at 3 out of 5 for laborers and material movers, so machine operation, rail and production roles rank high. Many of these jobs replace some heavy lifting with running or monitoring machines. Rail and trade roles pay much more for the same reliability and safety habits. The skills to add are problem solving, quality control and judgment.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
83% skill match · $43,220 · +7% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Quality Control Analysis · Complex Problem Solving
79% skill match · $39,070 · −3% pay
Quality Control Analysis · Operations Analysis · Management of Financial Resources
78% skill match · $48,540 · +21% pay
Operation and Control · Operations Monitoring · Quality Control Analysis
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders (83%), Helpers--Production Workers (79%) and Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (78%), based on O*NET 31.0. Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators (77%) is a higher-paying option.
20 of the 25 matches pay more than the $40,240 median for laborers and material movers. Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers earn $68,840 (+71%), Tapers earn $68,270 (+70%) and Postal Service Mail Sorters earn $58,470 (+45%), according to BLS May 2025 data.
No. All 25 matches usually need no more education than a material mover job, based on O*NET Job Zones. Training happens on the job, and 80% of workers in the closest match have a high school diploma or the equivalent.
In the same field, the nearest roles are Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators (84% match), Packers and Packagers, Hand (84%) and Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders (83%). Forklift work is a natural next step, since it adds equipment skills to what you already do.