What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Freight Handler?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Freight Handler jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Prudhoe Bay, AK (48.3% above average), followed by Hayward, CA and Salinas, CA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Prudhoe Bay, AK $53,253 $4,437 $1,024 $25.60 Hayward, CA $51,108 $4,259 $982 $24.57 Salinas, CA $50,237 $4,186 $966 $24.15 Pennington County, SD $48,316 $4,026 $929 $23.23 Middletown, RI $45,024 $3,752 $865 $21.65 Springfield, MA $44,692 $3,724 $859 $21.49 Hillsborough County, NH $44,316 $3,693 $852 $21.31 Red Lake Falls, MN $44,023 $3,668 $846 $21.16 Robert, LA $43,983 $3,665 $845 $21.15 Berlin Corners, VT $43,877 $3,656 $843 $21.09

Freight Handler

Freight Handler Salary

Q: How much does a Freight Handler make?

The average annual pay for a freight handler in the United States is $35,900 a year — that works out to approximately $17.26 an hour. The middle 80% of Freight Handlers earn between $28,500 (10th percentile) and $45,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Freight Handler Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Freight Handler in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Hazmat Team at $21,654 (60.3%) above Freight Handler. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Hazmat Team $57,554 $4,796 $1,106 $27.67 Work From Home Pull Tab $56,689 $4,724 $1,090 $27.25 City Truck Driver $56,348 $4,695 $1,083 $27.09 Parts Driver $35,033 $2,919 $673 $16.84 Freight Inspector $18,000 $1,500 $346 $8.65

$22.5K

$35K

$47K

$35,900

/year

$17.26

/hour

Freight Handler Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$35,900

Columbus

Ohio

$34,676

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How much does a Freight Handler make?

As of Jul 27, 2026, the average annual pay for a Freight Handler in the United States is $35,900 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $17.26 an hour. This is the equivalent of $690/week or $2,991/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $47,000 and as low as $22,500, the majority of Freight Handler salaries currently range between $31,000 (25th percentile) to $40,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $45,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Freight Handler varies greatly (by as much as 9000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A Freight Handler in your area makes on average $34,676 per year, or $1,224 (3.409%) less than the national average annual salary of $35,900. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Freight Handler salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Freight Handler jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Freight Handler on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Freight Handler Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Freight Handler job is above the national average. Topping the list is Prudhoe Bay, AK, , with Hayward, CA, and Salinas, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Salinas, CA, beats the national average by $14,337 (39.9%), and Prudhoe Bay, AK, furthers that trend with another $17,353 (48.3%) above the $35,900 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Freight Handler appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 19% between Prudhoe Bay, AK, and Berlin Corners, VT, , suggesting it may be difficult to see much positive wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may help determine the balance between location and salary for a Freight Handler role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Prudhoe Bay, AK	$53,253	$4,437	$1,024	$25.60
Hayward, CA	$51,108	$4,259	$982	$24.57
Salinas, CA	$50,237	$4,186	$966	$24.15
Pennington County, SD	$48,316	$4,026	$929	$23.23
Middletown, RI	$45,024	$3,752	$865	$21.65
Springfield, MA	$44,692	$3,724	$859	$21.49
Hillsborough County, NH	$44,316	$3,693	$852	$21.31
Red Lake Falls, MN	$44,023	$3,668	$846	$21.16
Robert, LA	$43,983	$3,665	$845	$21.15
Berlin Corners, VT	$43,877	$3,656	$843	$21.09

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Freight Handler Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Freight Handler category.

For example Hazmat Team jobs pay as much as $21,654 (60.3%) more than the average Freight Handler salary of $35,900. If you're qualified, finding work as a Hazmat Team may help you make more money than that of the average Freight Handler position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Hazmat Team	$57,554	$4,796	$1,106	$27.67
Work From Home Pull Tab	$56,689	$4,724	$1,090	$27.25
City Truck Driver	$56,348	$4,695	$1,083	$27.09
Parts Driver	$35,033	$2,919	$673	$16.84
Freight Inspector	$18,000	$1,500	$346	$8.65

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Freight Handler salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $35,900 per year or $17.26 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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