Jetted FoxCareers · Warehouse & moving
Packers and packagers, hand
Pack, wrap, label and box products by hand for shipping at warehouses, farms and factories. No college degree needed.
Start now · nothing needed
Starting pay ranges from about $10.51/hr in Louisiana to $18.28/hr in Kansas.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $11.25–12.87/hr | $15.28/hr |
| Alaska | $12.32–16.81/hr | $20.04/hr |
| Arizona | $14.70–15.85/hr | $17.82/hr |
| Arkansas | $13.41–14.87/hr | $16.31/hr |
| California | $16.52–16.97/hr | $17.91/hr |
| Colorado | $17.07–18.20/hr | $19.58/hr |
| Connecticut | $16.35–16.55/hr | $17.25/hr |
| Delaware | $15.79–17.39/hr | $17.93/hr |
| Florida | $13.02–13.27/hr | $13.60/hr |
| Georgia | $12.71–13.39/hr | $15.99/hr |
| Hawaii | $14–14.49/hr | $17.28/hr |
| Idaho | $11.06–13.78/hr | $17.75/hr |
| Illinois | $15.02–16.46/hr | $17.35/hr |
| Indiana | $14.51–16.07/hr | $17.99/hr |
| Iowa | $14.36–15.99/hr | $18.02/hr |
| Kansas | $14.45–18.28/hr | $21.38/hr |
| Kentucky | $14.15–15.91/hr | $17.72/hr |
| Louisiana | $9.47–10.51/hr | $13.32/hr |
| Maine | $14.65–14.74/hr | $17.47/hr |
| Maryland | $15.09–15.97/hr | $17.24/hr |
| Massachusetts | $15.03–15.63/hr | $16.44/hr |
| Michigan | $14.14–15.03/hr | $16.99/hr |
| Minnesota | $14.22–17.62/hr | $19.38/hr |
| Mississippi | $9.89–13.01/hr | $15.98/hr |
| Missouri | $14.37–16.08/hr | $18.11/hr |
| Montana | $11.05–13.81/hr | $16.81/hr |
| Nebraska | $13.88–17.13/hr | $18.69/hr |
| Nevada | $13.71–16.80/hr | $17.98/hr |
| New Hampshire | $14.04–14.14/hr | $14.76/hr |
| New Jersey | $15.49–17.32/hr | $21.08/hr |
| New Mexico | $12.34–12.58/hr | $13.50/hr |
| New York | $15.79–16.46/hr | $17.91/hr |
| North Carolina | $11.78–14.01/hr | $16.52/hr |
| North Dakota | $10.69–12.93/hr | $15.11/hr |
| Ohio | $14.32–15.56/hr | $17.79/hr |
| Oklahoma | $10.90–13.56/hr | $16.60/hr |
| Oregon | $14.95–16.20/hr | $17.40/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $13.88–16.17/hr | $17.77/hr |
| Rhode Island | $15–15.13/hr | $17.66/hr |
| South Carolina | $12.44–13.30/hr | $15.47/hr |
| South Dakota | $11.59–13.45/hr | $13.83/hr |
| Tennessee | $12.95–14.65/hr | $17.30/hr |
| Texas | $11.32–13.62/hr | $15.91/hr |
| Utah | $11–14.73/hr | $17.34/hr |
| Vermont | $15.79–17.53/hr | $18.96/hr |
| Virginia | $13.10–14.12/hr | $16.83/hr |
| Washington | $16.70–17.25/hr | $18.86/hr |
| Washington, DC | $17.75–17.86/hr | $19.67/hr |
| West Virginia | $10.56–13.30/hr | $13.82/hr |
| Wisconsin | $13.50–15.05/hr | $17.31/hr |
| Wyoming | $11.21–13.58/hr | $15.44/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Once you're hired
A normal day
You stand at a packing station or line, picking products, checking them, wrapping and boxing them and adding labels. You hit hourly counts, keep your station stocked with supplies and stack finished boxes on pallets. Shifts are repetitive and often fast.
The good parts
Easy to get hired with no experience. Clear tasks you can leave at work. Leads to machine operator or warehouse lead jobs.
The hard parts
Repetitive motions strain wrists and backs. Fast pace with hourly quotas. Low pay and few raises.
Where it leads
packing itself does not advance, but it leads to machine operator, quality checker, forklift operator or lead.
Quick answers
Do packers and packagers, hand need a college degree?
No. You can start now: nothing needed.
How long is the training for packers and packagers, hand?
A few days to 2 weeks.
How much do packers and packagers, hand make?
About $13.41–15.49 an hour to start and $17.44 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
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Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.