A Manual Labor's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Manual Labor Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Manual Labor's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Manual Labor Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Manual Labors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $47,351.
California: $47,171.
Massachusetts: $46,542.
District of Columbia$47,351
California$47,171
Massachusetts$46,542
Washington$46,371
New Jersey$46,354
Alaska$46,294
Connecticut$45,704
New York$45,465
Hawaii$44,699
Rhode Island$44,340
Maryland$44,096
Minnesota$43,763
Colorado$43,634
Illinois$43,591
Oregon$43,429
Delaware$43,309
New Hampshire$43,234
Virginia$43,065
Pennsylvania$42,574
Nevada$42,326
North Dakota$42,244
Michigan$42,116
Wisconsin$42,069
Vermont$41,975
Texas$41,714
Maine$41,697
Arizona$41,671
Ohio$41,641
Georgia$41,248
Indiana$41,051
Wyoming$41,013
Utah$40,953
Iowa$40,927
Kansas$40,722
Louisiana$40,662
North Carolina$40,641
Missouri$40,632
Florida$40,465
Montana$40,375
Nebraska$40,290
Kentucky$40,243
South Carolina$40,072
Tennessee$39,965
Idaho$39,922
New Mexico$39,610
Oklahoma$39,542
Alabama$39,289
South Dakota$38,866
Arkansas$38,635
West Virginia$38,511
Mississippi$38,139
Top Paying Cities for Manual Labors
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $53,941
San Francisco: $53,350
Oakland: $52,226
San Jose, CA$53,941
San Francisco, CA$53,350
Oakland, CA$52,226
New York, NY$49,240
Paramus, NJ$48,642
Queens Village, NY$48,640
Passaic, NJ$48,599
Bergenfield, NJ$48,595
Stamford, CT$48,501
Huntington, NY$48,483
Newark, NJ$48,167
Bridgeport, CT$48,077
Vallejo, CA$47,992
New Brunswick, NJ$47,975
Petaluma, CA$47,949
Middlesex, NJ$47,868
Somerset, NJ$47,838
Santa Cruz, CA$47,783
Boston, MA$47,522
Monterey, CA$47,372
Seattle, WA$47,274
Santa Rosa, CA$47,265
Los Angeles, CA$47,252
Juneau, AK$47,141
Washington, DC$47,094
Orange, CA$46,942
Santa Ana, CA$46,829
Long Beach, CA$46,786
Anaheim, CA$46,778
Anchorage, AK$46,756
Santa Maria, CA$46,628
Everett, WA$46,619
Danbury, CT$46,469
Bremerton, WA$46,410
Tacoma, WA$46,256
New Suffolk, NY$46,255
Sacramento, CA$46,243
Santa Barbara, CA$46,196
Trenton, NJ$46,149
San Diego, CA$46,149
Brockton, MA$46,102
Fairbanks, AK$45,997
Lompoc, CA$45,888
Lowell, MA$45,853
Ventura, CA$45,845
Nashua, NH$45,837
Stockton, CA$45,832
Modesto, CA$45,520
Poughkeepsie, NY$45,426
Olympia, WA$45,345
Kennewick, WA$45,345
New Haven, CT$45,328
Lawrence, MA$45,174
Hartford, CT$45,131
Riverside, CA$45,123
New Bedford, MA$45,080
Richland, WA$45,080
Bakersfield, CA$45,020
San Bernardino, CA$45,003
New Britain, CT$44,998
Atlantic City, NJ$44,998
New London, CT$44,981
Norwich, CT$44,969
Portsmouth, NH$44,960
Boulder, CO$44,869
Portland, OR$44,810
Worcester, MA$44,806
Minneapolis, MN$44,673
Philadelphia, PA$44,614
Honolulu, HI$44,472
Saint Paul, MN$44,452
Vineland, NJ$44,443
Providence, RI$44,319
Chicago, IL$44,194
Bellingham, WA$44,143
Springfield, MA$44,109
Baltimore, MD$44,096
Chico, CA$43,989
Pittsfield, MA$43,874
Manchester, NH$43,792
Spokane, WA$43,604
Denver, CO$43,600
Albany, NY$43,399
Troy, NY$43,382
Nassau, NY$43,336
Schenectady, NY$43,292
Wilmington, DE$43,258
Burlington, VT$43,198
Salem, OR$43,181
Portland, ME$43,048
Yakima, WA$43,006
Rochester, MN$42,873
Reno, NV$42,852
Fresno, CA$42,852
Milwaukee, WI$42,813
Detroit, MI$42,770
Ann Arbor, MI$42,763
Allentown, PA$42,758
Colorado Springs, CO$42,685
Syracuse, NY$42,663
Carson City, NV$42,663
Houston, TX$42,604
Eugene, OR$42,582
Gary, IN$42,531
Springfield, OR$42,497
Bismarck, ND$42,488
Galveston, TX$42,458
Medford, OR$42,394
Fort Collins, CO$42,377
Concord, NH$42,356
Austin, TX$42,343
Mesa, AZ$42,253
Reading, PA$42,249
Phoenix, AZ$42,244
Dallas, TX$42,232
Saint Cloud, MN$42,190
Madison, WI$42,133
Utica, NY$42,018
Rochester, NY$41,949
Des Moines, IA$41,945
Raleigh, NC$41,941
Atlanta, GA$41,877
Battle Creek, MI$41,864
Salt Lake City, UT$41,851
Lancaster, PA$41,787
Harrisburg, PA$41,727
Kansas City, MO$41,684
Champaign, IL$41,676
Kansas City, KS$41,676
Fort Worth, TX$41,671
Columbus, OH$41,664
Boca Raton, FL$41,654
Pittsburgh, PA$41,637
Richmond, VA$41,620
Indianapolis, IN$41,611
Cleveland, OH$41,607
Las Vegas, NV$41,556
Cincinnati, OH$41,556
Petersburg, VA$41,492
Huntsville, AL$41,428
Lansing, MI$41,399
Lebanon, PA$41,393
Pueblo, CO$41,389
Appleton, WI$41,376
Buffalo, NY$41,359
Dayton, OH$41,346
Racine, WI$41,338
Charlotte, NC$41,333
Saint Louis, MO$41,321
York, PA$41,295
Elkhart, IN$41,295
Gastonia, NC$41,287
Billings, MT$41,277
Beaumont, TX$41,265
Lorain, OH$41,256
Benton Harbor, MI$41,248
Toledo, OH$41,239
Binghamton, NY$41,218
Rock Hill, SC$41,214
Rockford, IL$41,192
Springfield, IL$41,175
Elyria, OH$41,171
Fargo, ND$41,171
Flagstaff, AZ$41,141
Fort Lauderdale, FL$41,115
Duluth, MN$41,090
Miami, FL$41,090
Cheyenne, WY$41,060
Grand Forks, ND$41,060
Bangor, ME$40,966
Cedar Rapids, IA$40,919
Durham, NC$40,901
Louisville, KY$40,897
Grand Rapids, MI$40,889
Hialeah, FL$40,884
Casper, WY$40,825
Scranton, PA$40,773
New Orleans, LA$40,760
Virginia Beach, VA$40,756
Akron, OH$40,735
Peoria, IL$40,679
Sarasota, FL$40,671
Nashville, TN$40,641
Omaha, NE$40,641
Green Bay, WI$40,641
Baton Rouge, LA$40,619
Charleston, SC$40,611
Jamestown, NY$40,589
Davenport, IA$40,589
Tucson, AZ$40,568
Saint Petersburg, FL$40,542
Tampa, FL$40,534
Evansville, IN$40,508
Port Arthur, TX$40,508
Bradenton, FL$40,491
Santa Fe, NM$40,414
Orlando, FL$40,337
Clearwater, FL$40,324
Canton, OH$40,234
La Crosse, WI$40,234
Albuquerque, NM$40,209
Newport News, VA$40,204
High Point, NC$40,192
Ogden, UT$40,174
Corpus Christi, TX$40,140
Norfolk, VA$40,115
Laramie, WY$40,115
Rock Island, IL$40,089
Saginaw, MI$40,080
Jacksonville, FL$40,076
Salisbury, NC$40,068
Boise, ID$40,059
Moline, IL$40,038
Fort Myers, FL$40,025
Memphis, TN$40,016
Tulsa, OK$39,995
Waterloo, IA$39,969
Spartanburg, SC$39,926
Lincoln, NE$39,905
Fort Wayne, IN$39,896
Provo, UT$39,892
Cedar Falls, IA$39,841
San Antonio, TX$39,824
Greensboro, NC$39,807
South Bend, IN$39,802
Savannah, GA$39,755
Muskegon, MI$39,738
Birmingham, AL$39,734
Winston Salem, NC$39,713
Lake Charles, LA$39,610
Anderson, IN$39,601
Lexington, KY$39,589
Augusta, GA$39,576
Greenville, SC$39,576
Lima, OH$39,542
Wichita, KS$39,537
Tuscaloosa, AL$39,537
Columbia, SC$39,499
Springfield, OH$39,490
Asheville, NC$39,422
Bloomington, IN$39,392
Knoxville, TN$39,238
Shreveport, LA$39,234
Wilmington, NC$39,178
Roanoke, VA$39,178
Topeka, KS$39,101
Frankfort, KY$39,096
Oklahoma City, OK$39,067
Chillicothe, OH$39,050
Longview, TX$39,045
Melbourne, FL$39,041
Sioux Falls, SD$38,973
Mobile, AL$38,968
Terre Haute, IN$38,951
Altoona, PA$38,926
Amarillo, TX$38,896
Killeen, TX$38,883
Fayetteville, AR$38,849
Chattanooga, TN$38,836
Sioux City, IA$38,797
Idaho Falls, ID$38,789
Lynchburg, VA$38,755
Gainesville, FL$38,699
Portsmouth, OH$38,678
Little Rock, AR$38,669
Lafayette, LA$38,652
Youngstown, OH$38,652
Daytona Beach, FL$38,626
Clarksville, TN$38,622
Pensacola, FL$38,618
Temple, TX$38,615
Hopkinsville, KY$38,489
Erie, PA$38,481
Florence, SC$38,464
Charleston, WV$38,395
Great Falls, MT$38,374
Macon, GA$38,314
Tallahassee, FL$38,310
Fayetteville, NC$38,301
Waco, TX$38,293
Helena, MT$38,263
Pine Bluff, AR$38,247
Vincennes, IN$38,194
Lubbock, TX$38,177
Alamogordo, NM$38,152
Twin Falls, ID$38,113
Rapid City, SD$38,100
Jackson, MS$38,023
Huntington, WV$38,020
Greenville, MS$38,019
Parkersburg, WV$37,975
Montgomery, AL$37,968
Wichita Falls, TX$37,925
Springfield, MO$37,925
Biloxi, MS$37,904
Monroe, LA$37,861
Johnstown, PA$37,831
Sumter, SC$37,814
Columbus, GA$37,810
Pascagoula, MS$37,728
Abilene, TX$37,728
Kingsport, TN$37,617
Albany, GA$37,617
Gulfport, MS$37,604
Alexandria, LA$37,463
Fort Smith, AR$37,356
El Paso, TX$37,241
Las Cruces, NM$37,048
Harlingen, TX$36,940
Pocatello, ID$36,933
Florence, AL$36,877
Brownsville, TX$36,869
Mcallen, TX$36,779
Dothan, AL$36,719
Columbus, MS$36,465
Altus, OK$36,266
Lawton, OK$36,184
Pierre, SD$36,030
What Skills Can Increase a Manual Labor's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 12.76% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Packaging (Mentioned in 3.24% Job Postings): Preparing products through wrapping or bottling to protect the goods from damages during transportation and storage.
Work Ethic (Mentioned in 2.59% Job Postings): A belief that work and diligence have a moral benefit and an inherent ability, virtue or value to strengthen character and individual abilities. A set of values centered on importance of work and manifested by determination or desire to work hard.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Manual Labor's salary.
Scheduling: Can increase your salary by up to 21%.
Hydraulics: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Manual Labor Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Manual Labor roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Aerospace & Defense
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average.
In contrast, Manual Labor positions in Healthcare or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Manual Labor as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Manual Labor
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals
$59,873
$29.0
40%
Aerospace & Defense
$57,734
$28.0
35%
Biotechnology
$55,596
$27.0
30%
Financial Services
$53,458
$26.0
25%
Insurance
$51,319
$25.0
20%
How Education impacts a Manual Labor's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Manual Labors enter the field with a No Diploma degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Manual Labor with a No Diploma is between
$32,956
and $35,920).
Manual Labor Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Manual Labor's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$39,590
Average$42,766/year
$47,352
$3,299
Average$3,564/month
$3,946
$761
Average$822/week
$911
$19
Average$21/hour
$23
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$47,352
$3,946
$911
$23
Average
$42,766
$3,564
$822
$21
25th Percentile
$39,590
$3,299
$761
$19
Salaries of Jobs related to Manual Labor
Parts Manual Analyst$88,536
Manual Software Tester$80,559
Manual Test Engineer$70,688
Manual QA Tester$68,731
Manual Therapist$56,750
Manual Tester$52,602
CNC Manual Machinist$46,780
Manual Machinist$46,183
Manual Laborer$44,576
Labor$44,321
Shipping Manual Packer$34,490
Salary Trends for Manual Labor
Salaries for a Manual Labor can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary increased from $46,317 in 2023
to around $46,350 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Manual Labor salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Manual Labor Over Time
$???
$46,317
$46,527
$46,350
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$46,317
2024
$46,527
2025
$46,350
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Manual Labor
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Manual Labor
Here are companies hiring for Manual Labor and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next Manual Labor Job
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Manual Labor job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
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FAQ about Manual Labor
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Manual Labor?
The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Manual Labor roles,
with salaries approximately 40% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
