Career Explorer Transport and logistics
Human edge, steady
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
Manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor. Includes all manual laborers not elsewhere classified.
More resilient than most: more resilient than 72% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is very low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it low), and US jobs are projected to change by +1.8% by 2035, slower than average.
AI struggles with much of this work. Hiring is expected to grow slower than average, or to shrink.
- Median pay (2025)
- $40,240
- Job growth to 2035
- +1.8%
- Openings a year
- 340,000
- People doing it (2025)
- 2.9 million
- Usual route in
- No formal credential, then short on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Communicate with others about operational plans or activities
- Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- Connect components or supply lines to equipment or tools
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Sort materials or products
- Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas
- Operate industrial processing or production equipment
What the work looks like
- Install protective devices, such as bracing, padding, or strapping, to prevent shifting or damage to items being transported.
- Maintain equipment storage areas to ensure that inventory is protected.
- Sort cargo before loading and unloading.
- Attach identifying tags to containers or mark them with identifying information.
- Read work orders or receive oral instructions to determine work assignments or material or equipment needs.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects
- Fewer of these jobs, as automated filling, bagging, packing, and palletizing equipment used in new facilities will require fewer laborers.
- Fewer of these jobs, as delivery services implement robotics technology to replace roles related to manual stock and material moving tasks.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Cleaners of vehicles and equipmentHuman edge, growing, Index 90, +3.9%
- Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tendersHuman edge, steady, Index 76, +3.4%
- Light truck driversHuman edge, growing, Index 75, +6.3%
- Tire repairers and changersHuman edge, steady, Index 91, +3.4%
Also known as: Laborer, Loader, Material Handler, Warehouse Worker, Non-Ferrous Material Handler, Sort Line Worker, Sorter, Transfer Station Operator.
Is this career on your child's list?
Build a free Career Playbook matched to your child, or get a 90-day Action Plan with dated next steps, written for your child by name.
Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.