Side by side
National figures. Pay is BLS OEWS, May 2025. Injuries are 2024 rates per 100 full-time workers, against 2.3 for private industry (BLS SOII). Deaths are 2024 rates per 100,000, against 3.3 for all workers (BLS CFOI).
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| Warehouse | Delivery | General labor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay | Stockers $17.95, hand movers $19.35, forklift $22.32 | Light truck $21.57, driver/sales $18.64 | Construction laborers $22.66, landscaping $18.82 |
| Low end (10th percentile) | $14.48 to $17.71 | $10.86 to $14.81 | $14.98 to $16.87 |
| Recordable injuries | Warehousing 4.8 | Couriers and messengers 8.0 | Construction 2.2, landscaping services 3.0 |
| Deaths | Hand laborers and movers 5.4 | Driver/sales and truck drivers 25.7 | Construction laborers 15.8, grounds workers 20.9 |
| Average weekly hours | 39.1, warehousing | 33.9, couriers | 40.0 construction, 38.8 landscaping, 35.7 temp help |
| Where you work | One building, often not climate controlled | Your route, in all weather | Sites and yards that change |
| What stops the pay | Fewer hours when volume falls | Slow months, and car trouble if the car is yours | Rain, winter, the end of a job |
Hours are for production workers, August or September 2026, preliminary (BLS). One caution on injuries: the construction rate covers whole firms, office staff included, and BLS still says laborers have one of the highest rates of all jobs (BLS OOH). So read the deaths row too. The driver death rate includes long-haul trucks, not only delivery.
What you actually keep each week
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| Example | Hours | Gross | Vehicle cost | Taxes shown | Left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse, stocker, $17.95 | 39 | $700.05 | none on the job | $95.63 | $604.42 |
| Warehouse, hand mover, $19.35 | 39 | $754.65 | none on the job | $106.36 | $648.29 |
| Delivery employee, company van, $21.57 | 34 | $733.38 | none on the job | $102.18 | $631.20 |
| Delivery contractor, own car, $22 | 30 | $660.00 | $152.00 | $71.78 self-employment only | $436.22, before income tax |
| Labor, temp agency, $17.00 | 36 | $612.00 | none on the job | $78.34 | $533.66 |
| Labor, construction, $22.66 | 40 | $906.40 | none on the job | $136.18 | $770.22 |
| Same job, one day rained out | 32 | $725.12 | none on the job | $100.56 | $624.56 |
Assumptions: single filer, standard W-4, paid weekly, IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Social Security and Medicare at 7.65% (IRS Topic 751). No state income tax, as in Texas; most states take more. Hours follow the averages above. More: your first paycheck explained.
The contractor row uses $22, inside Amazon Flex's stated $18 to $25 range, and 200 assumed miles at the IRS rate of 76 cents, which is a tax measure and not your real cost (IRS, updated July 28, 2026). Self-employment tax is 15.3% on 92.35% of net. That leaves $14.54 an hour. These are examples, not forecasts. More: delivery jobs guide.
The middle case. UPS's Seasonal Support Driver job in Dallas pays $23.00 an hour plus $0.76 a mile in your own vehicle (posted October 22, 2026). If your real cost is near 76 cents, the miles about cover the car.
Your commute counts in all three. UPS tells warehouse hires, "How you get to and from work is up to you." A 30-mile round trip, five days, at an assumed 25 miles a gallon and $4.269 a gallon (EIA, October 26, 2026) costs $25.61 a week in gas alone. Labor sites move, so yours may change.
What each does to your body
Share of workers who told O*NET this describes their job (updated 2026, read October 31, 2026).
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| Demand | Stockers | Hand movers | Light truck drivers | Construction laborers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time pressure, every day | 27% | not shown | 56% | not shown |
| Outdoors in all weather, every day | not shown | 76%* | 71% | 81% |
| Very hot or cold, every day | 17% | 58% | 35% | not shown |
| Standing, continually | 68% | 23% | not shown | 68% |
| Protective gear, every day | not shown | 80% | 52% | 97% |
| Regular schedule | not shown | 80% | 75% | 16% |
The hand mover code also covers docks and yards, so this figure does not describe indoor picking. "Not shown" means ONET's page did not display that share. Landscaping workers report 65% outdoors every day, and 71% call their schedule regular.
What you need to get in
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| Requirement | Warehouse | Delivery | General labor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experience | Often none: UPS Chantilly, VA, "No experience necessary" | UPS Dallas: "No prior experience required" | Often none: Labor Finders, Alexandria, VA |
| License | No | Yes. All delivery drivers need a driver's license (BLS OOH) | Sometimes. A valid license may be required (BLS OOH) |
| Age | Amazon: 18. No forklift under 18 (OSHA) | Amazon Flex: 21. 21 to drive a vehicle of 10,001 pounds or more in interstate commerce (49 CFR 390.5, 391.11(b)(1)). On-the-job driving is on the federal hazardous list for minors (29 CFR Part 570) | PeopleReady, Paris, TN: 18 |
| Your own vehicle | No, but you need a ride | Sometimes. UPS Dallas requires one under 10,000 pounds, with registration and insurance | Often a practical need, since sites change |
| Lifting | UPS up to 70 pounds, Amazon up to 49 | UPS Dallas up to 70 pounds | PeopleReady: 50 pounds |
| Screening | Drug and background checks at Amazon and PeopleReady | Varies by contractor. Your driving record matters | PeopleReady: drug test |
Heavier trucks need more. The weight lines are in driver jobs that do not need a CDL and how to get a CDL. Postings read October 31, 2026.
The downside of each
- Warehouse. A tracked pace, in some buildings. The same motion for hours. Restricted duty ran 2.6 per 100 against 0.5 for private industry (BLS SOII, 2024). Shifts can start at 3:00 AM. Deep guide: warehouse jobs guide.
- Delivery. The highest injury rate of the three. One Amazon contractor reports at least 150 stops a day (Amazon, March 19, 2024). Traffic, stairs, rain and ice are part of the route. As a contractor you pay for gas, repairs and tax, and most personal auto policies sold in Washington state do not cover gig work (Washington Insurance Commissioner, read October 31, 2026).
- General labor. Pay can stop with the weather, and federal law "does not require payment for time not worked" (U.S. DOL, read October 31, 2026). Only 16% of construction laborers call their schedule regular (O*NET). Fatal injury rates run about five to six times the all-worker rate (BLS CFOI, 2024). Deep guide: general labor jobs guide.
If you ... choose ...
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| If you | Choose | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Have no car | Warehouse near a bus line | No license or vehicle needed on the job |
| Are 18 to 20 | Warehouse or labor, or delivery only under 10,001 pounds | The age 21 line, and Flex's 21 rule |
| Need the steadiest hours | Warehouse | 39.1 average hours, and 80% of hand movers report a regular schedule |
| Hate being timed by a scanner | Labor, or ask first about the rate | Some warehouses track a rate. Routes have deadlines too |
| Have a clean license and like working alone | Delivery as an employee | About the same take-home as warehouse, with no vehicle bill |
| Own a car and want side money | A gig app, after you price it | Run your own miles first, and check your insurance in writing |
| Want a trade later | Construction labor | Helpers can move into apprenticeships (BLS OOH) |
| Cannot work in heat or cold | Warehouse, but ask about the building | 61% of hand movers work indoors without climate control every day (O*NET) |
| Have a back or knee problem | None without asking. Pick by the lift number | All three lift. Ask to see the task |
| Want to drive trucks later | Warehouse at a parcel company, or delivery | "Some delivery drivers begin as package loaders" (BLS OOH) |
| Need money this week | Agency labor or a seasonal parcel job | PeopleReady advertises next-day pay on many jobs. UPS says you could book a first day within 10 minutes. Seasonal jobs end |
Picking a warehouse employer? Read UPS vs FedEx package handler, Amazon's hiring process and Walmart distribution center jobs.
Medians by metro
BLS OEWS, May 2025. Local gaps can flip the national order.
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| Metro | Hand movers | Light truck drivers | Construction laborers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth | $18.52 | $21.18 | $21.14 |
| Houston | $18.27 | $21.12 | $19.88 |
| Atlanta | $18.76 | $21.61 | $20.20 |
| Chicago | $19.50 | $23.05 | $29.27 |
| Los Angeles | $20.38 | $22.36 | $28.28 |
| Phoenix | $21.61 | $22.01 | $22.56 |
| Seattle | $22.95 | $23.84 | $28.72 |
| Denver | $22.25 | $23.73 | $23.44 |
Other jobs and metros: pay benchmarks.
Current openings
See warehouse jobs, warehouse jobs with no experience, delivery jobs and general labor jobs. Warehouse by city: Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix. Delivery: Dallas, Houston, Seattle. Labor: Denver, Phoenix.
Source-linked openings
Current source-linked listings could not be confirmed in this sample. Check the category search and each original posting for availability.
How to verify a listing
Every opening on JobPin links to its source posting. Open it and find three things: who employs you, who pays for the vehicle, and what happens on a slow or rained-out day. A posting that makes you buy a vehicle or kit first is a warning sign (FTC, read October 31, 2026). More: how JobPin verifies listings.
How JobPin dates and sources listings: How JobPin verifies listings and events. Report a listing.