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The AI Resilience Report helps you understand how AI is likely to impact your current or future career. Drawing on data from over 1,500 occupations, it provides a clear snapshot to support informed career decisions.
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Somewhat Resilient
Last Update: 5/19/2026
Your role’s AI Resilience Score is
49.0%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
Med
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
High
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Low
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
There are a reasonable number of sources for this result, but there is some disagreement between them.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forLaborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand are somewhat less resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 6 sources.
Warehouse and freight jobs are "Somewhat Resilient" because while robots are taking over a lot of the repetitive lifting and sorting, the physical and judgment-heavy parts of the job — like picking oddly shaped items or handling unexpected problems — still need human workers. About 41% of supply chain companies are already using AI, and that number is climbing fast, so the nature of the work is genuinely shifting.
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Warehouse and freight jobs are "Somewhat Resilient" because while robots are taking over a lot of the repetitive lifting and sorting, the physical and judgment-heavy parts of the job — like picking oddly shaped items or handling unexpected problems — still need human workers. About 41% of supply chain companies are already using AI, and that number is climbing fast, so the nature of the work is genuinely shifting.
Read full analysisAnalysis of Current AI Resilience
Freight/Material Movers
Updated Quarterly • Last Update: 5/15/2026
How is AI changing Freight/Material Movers jobs?
If you've ever ordered something online and gotten it the next day, you've seen warehouse automation in action. Right now, AI is mostly augmenting hand laborers and material movers rather than fully replacing them. According to Modern Materials Handling's 2026 Automation Study [1], the most-automated task today is labeling (24%), followed by reporting (18%) and packaging (13%), while picking is only 12% fully automated and retrieval just 3% — meaning the physical, judgment-heavy parts of the job still rely heavily on people.
The newest tools include autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), goods-to-person shuttles, and AI-powered piece-picking arms that use machine vision to grab items from bins; Global Trade Magazine reports [2] these systems can boost order fulfillment speeds by 300% and cut labor costs up to 30%. Staffing firm Randstad notes [3] that entry-level workers increasingly oversee robotic workflows, validate outputs, and step in when something looks off — work that's "less about repetition and more about judgment."
Sources
How fast is AI adoption growing for Freight/Material Movers?
Adoption is accelerating but uneven. The 2026 MHI Annual Industry Report [4] found 41% of supply chain companies are now using AI (up from 30% a year earlier), and 56% are increasing tech and automation spending — driven by labor shortages, e-commerce volume, and pressure to cut costs. The most dramatic example: Fortune reported [5] on leaked Amazon documents suggesting the company could replace up to half a million warehouse jobs with robots over the next decade.
Still, several brakes are slowing things down. Robots remain expensive, struggle with oddly shaped or fragile items, and many older warehouses aren't designed for them. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics [6] still projects 4% job growth for hand laborers and material movers through 2034, with about 1 million openings every year — many from retirements.
The honest takeaway: routine lifting and sorting will keep getting automated, but workers who learn to troubleshoot robots, run warehouse software, and handle exceptions will stay in demand.
Sources
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More Career Info
Career: Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
They move and organize goods in warehouses or stores, making sure items are in the right place for shipping or stocking.
Parent Careers
Similar Careers
Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$38,940
Jobs (2024)
2,988,900
Growth (2024-34)
+1.5%
Annual Openings
384,300
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Rig or dismantle props or equipment, such as frames, scaffolding, platforms, or backdrops, using hand tools.
2
Adjust controls to guide, position, or move equipment, such as cranes, booms, or cameras.
3
Stack cargo in locations such as transit sheds or in holds of ships as directed, using pallets or cargo boards.
4
Maintain equipment storage areas to ensure that inventory is protected.
5
Adjust or replace equipment parts, such as rollers, belts, plugs, or caps, using hand tools.
6
Carry out general yard duties, such as performing shunting on railway lines.
7
Direct spouts and position receptacles, such as bins, carts, or containers so they can be loaded.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
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