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Stocker: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$37,330median pay per year, or $17.95 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $30,110lowest 10% earn less
  2. $34,45025th percentile
  3. $37,330median
  4. $44,65075th percentile
  5. $49,260top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Stockers and order fillers had a median pay of $37,330 a year in May 2025[1]. Jobs are projected to grow 8.9% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+8.9%[2]
Openings per year
430,700[5]
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential[6]

How much do stockers make?

The median wage for stockers and order fillers was $37,330 a year, or $17.95 an hour[1]. Half earned more and half earned less. The average was $39,540 a year, or $19.01 an hour[7]. For all occupations, the median was $50,980 a year[4]. So the median here is well below the national median.

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $30,110 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $49,260[3]. The 25th percentile was $34,450 and the 75th was $44,650[3]. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[8].

Level Annual Hourly
10th percentile[3][9] $30,110 $14.48
25th percentile[3][9] $34,450 $16.56
Median[1] $37,330 $17.95
75th percentile[3][9] $44,650 $21.47
90th percentile[3][9] $49,260 $23.68

These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed and do not count benefits or some bonuses[10]. About 2,833,810 people held these jobs in May 2025[11].

Pay by state and city

Washington had the highest median at $44,620, followed by Oregon at $43,480 and California at $42,870[12]. Mississippi had the lowest listed median at $34,270[12].

Texas had the most jobs at 322,710, then California at 310,870 and Florida at 171,380[13]. Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Cheyenne, WY had the top median at $46,900, followed by Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA at $46,830[14]. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the most jobs among metros at 131,080[15].

Show median pay in 50 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
Washington[12]$44,62057,370
Oregon$43,48042,690
California$42,870310,870
Colorado$42,35055,520
Connecticut$40,59035,490
Alaska$40,3106,770
District of Columbia$39,6403,150
Wyoming$39,5804,800
Hawaii$39,3008,830
Montana$39,0508,900
New York$39,030146,140
Maryland$37,69034,980
Utah$37,69026,730
Illinois$37,680109,240
South Dakota$37,65011,460
Massachusetts$37,54049,760
Arizona$37,50057,510
Delaware$37,4207,080
Nevada$37,38031,270
Idaho$37,31012,450
New Jersey$37,25064,070
Maine$37,22011,950
Ohio$37,130129,760
Vermont$37,1305,360
Minnesota$37,12040,270
Texas$36,840322,710
Kentucky$36,81047,730
North Dakota$36,7905,240
New Hampshire$36,78014,400
Missouri$36,71067,390
Iowa$36,64026,770
Pennsylvania$36,640119,840
Rhode Island$36,4706,660
Florida$36,400171,380
Virginia$36,38069,660
Indiana$36,25066,420
Tennessee$36,14060,130
South Carolina$36,02041,800
North Carolina$35,95087,510
Michigan$35,93082,730
Nebraska$35,92017,980
New Mexico$35,83016,540
Georgia$35,62086,660
Kansas$35,45026,750
Wisconsin$35,00047,580
Oklahoma$34,79032,910
Arkansas$34,70028,350
West Virginia$34,51012,520
Louisiana$34,49031,710
Alabama$34,29046,580
Mississippi$34,27023,420

How to become a stocker

BLS lists no formal educational credential for entry and no related work experience[6]. The usual training is short-term and happens on the job[6].

The OOH profile covers a wider group called hand laborers and material movers, so the details below describe that group[16].

The OOH names attention to detail, physical stamina and listening to supervisors as important qualities[21][22][23].

What stockers do

They receive, store and hand out merchandise from a stockroom or warehouse to fill shelves, racks or customer orders[24]. Typical tasks include:

Where they work

In the wider group, workers are found in stockrooms, warehouses, manufacturing plants and other settings. The tasks include lifting and carrying heavy items, and the work is often repetitive and tiring on the body[26]. Retail trade was the largest employer of the wider group, at 35%[27].

The wider group has injury and illness rates that are among the highest of any occupation, including sprains and strains from moving heavy objects[28]. Most work full time, though part-time work is common. Schedules vary and may include nights and weekends[29]. In 2025, 0% of stockers and order fillers were self-employed[30].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 8.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all occupations[2][31]. That is an increase of about 250,700 jobs[2]. Those counts include self-employed workers[2].

BLS expects about 430,700 openings a year on average[5]. Openings include jobs that come open when people retire or change occupations, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 6% of workers leave the labor force and 7.8% move to a different occupation[32].

Is it a good fit?

There is no formal education requirement, and training is short[6][18]. Median pay is well below the all-occupations median, and even the highest-paid 10% earned more than $49,260, which is close to that median[1][4][3]. Growth is projected to be faster than average for all jobs[2][31]. The work is physically demanding, and injury rates in the wider group are among the highest[26][28].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[33].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a stocker make an hour?
The median was $17.95 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $19.01[1][7].
How long does it take to become a stocker?
BLS lists short-term on-the-job training[6]. In the wider OOH group, training takes a few days to 1 month[18].
What education do you need to be a stocker?
BLS lists no formal educational credential[6].
Is stocker work in demand?
BLS projects 8.9% growth from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 430,700 openings a year[2][31][5].
Which state pays stockers the most?
Washington had the highest median at $44,620, followed by Oregon at $43,480[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Stockers and Order Fillers in the US was $37,330 per year and $17.95 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Stockers and Order Fillers is projected to grow 8.9% from 2025 to 2035, from about 2,804,300 to 3,055,000 jobs (a change of +250,700). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Stockers and Order Fillers: 10th percentile $30,110, 25th percentile $34,450, 75th percentile $44,650, 90th percentile $49,260. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 430,700 openings for Stockers and Order Fillers are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Stockers and Order Fillers: education needed for entry: No formal educational credential; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Stockers and Order Fillers was $39,540 per year and $19.01 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Stockers and Order Fillers: 10th percentile $14.48, 25th percentile $16.56, 75th percentile $21.47, 90th percentile $23.68. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 2,833,810 people were employed as Stockers and Order Fillers in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. Median annual wage for Stockers and Order Fillers in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Stockers and Order Fillers jobs: Texas 322,710; California 310,870; Florida 171,380; New York 146,140; Ohio 129,760. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Stockers and Order Fillers (areas with at least 100 jobs): Cheyenne, WY $46,900; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $46,830; Kenosha, WI $46,030; Bend, OR $45,840; Bozeman, MT $45,520; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $45,130; Boulder, CO $45,010; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $44,970. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Stockers and Order Fillers jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 131,080 (median $38,600); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 111,100 (median $37,590); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 85,630 (median $38,650); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 79,850 (median $38,450); Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 77,160 (median $43,200); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 72,970 (median $36,890). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Hand Laborers and Material Movers" covers Stockers and Order Fillers together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. O*NET description of Stockers and Order Fillers. O*NET OnLine
  25. O*NET task list for Stockers and Order Fillers. O*NET OnLine
  26. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  27. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of hand laborers and material movers in 2025: Retail trade 35%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Injuries and Illnesses. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  29. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  30. BLS Employment Projections: 0% of Stockers and Order Fillers were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  31. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  32. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Stockers and Order Fillers: 6% of workers leave the labor force each year and 7.8% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  33. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page 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. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.