How much do movers make?

Moving is one of those things everyone goes through at one point in their life, but not everyone knows how it’s properly done. If you’re equipped with the knowledge and tools to help people move out, then you can definitely spin it into an additional income stream. You can easily stack up some cash and be rewarded with the extra pay.

But just how much can you earn from moving things? We’ve laid out everything you need to know to earn as a mover.

How much can I earn as an individual mover?

You can make good money as a mover and earn from $30 to $50 per hour for a full-service move. A day’s move can easily rack up to $400, excluding additional pay.

Additional pay, which includes cash bonuses, tips, commissions, and profit sharing, is estimated at $19,000 per year. If you’re thinking you work better alone, freelance movers charge as low as $25 per hour, while those who work in teams can charge as low as $200 per hour. 

Factors affecting charge

Let’s break down how much you should charge for moving help. Charging per hour depends on: 

• Distance - Where you’ll be moving to and from;

• Amount of work - A full service includes packing, driving, unloading, and unpacking;

• Items to move - Whether it’s furniture or moving the entire house. 

1. Distance

The longer the distance, the higher the charge. This depends on whether you’ll move across states. Local movers can make $800 to $2,150, while long-distance movers make $2,200 to $5,700 on a full-service move.

2. Service

A full-service move includes packing, moving, and then unpacking. There are also cases where some customers already have their packages ready and just need you to move their belongings from one location to another. Here’s a breakdown of how much to charge for your moving services:

Every move is different, and the above figures are just an estimate. An out-of-state full-service move might take you 18 to 24 hours to finish, so it depends on the time and effort you’d like to spend on moving.

3. Items

Most movers consider the weight that they (and truck) could carry. The different costs of moving the items are:

4. Additional Costs

There are some things you can consider charging extra for the extra work that you’ll be doing. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Stairs and elevators: You can charge extra to carry up and down the stairs, even if the place has elevators. Because of this, you’ll have to triple your work of loading and unloading packages to and from the elevators instead of carrying them straight to the front door. 

• Long carry: Long carry is the unusually long distance from the front door to the back door of your vehicle. You can specify a distance limit and charge anything that goes beyond that.

• Shuttle service: For places where parking is difficult, a shuttle service may be necessary since you can’t park your vehicle near the house

• Packing: Charge for packing materials and the service itself (which you can charge per item or by the hour), if the client chooses this option.

• Large and heavy items: If you have the stamina to carry and move large or heavy items, charge extra. This includes pianos, hot tubs, and treadmills. You also get to charge for using the equipment you used to move them. 

• Fragile items: While it’s part of the job to safely and securely move items, some items are just harder to move because they’re fragile. You can charge extra or have them on insurance.

• Moving insurance: While it’s required for you to provide basic insurance, give the client an option to buy full-value coverage for an extra fee.

What does a mover do?

As a mover, your responsibilities include taking apart, securely packing, loading, unloading, and possibly unpacking items. You should be able to handle the packages with care as you move the items from one location to another, ensuring they are not damaged, lost, or broken during the process. 

For packing and unpacking services, you need to know how to take items apart, bubble wrap or stretch wrap, place loose items in boxes and sealed bags, and use straps and cardboard sheets when items are large. 

And for loading the items, you may need equipment such as a dolly or ramp to move and load objects from a customer's building to a moving truck and take an inventory by describing each package or item at the location before it is loaded.

Tips to become a good mover

Here are some tips that might help you become a good mover:

Having a clean driving record and a commercial driver's license may be required for large moving trucks. 

• Because of the physical nature of the work, you will need excellent stamina and the ability to lift heavy objects for a long period.

• Be friendly and professional to clients in order to earn higher tips. 

• Make sure the move is speedy and efficient without compromising safety. 

Become a mover, sign up on Airtasker

People typically hire movers when they don’t have the time and energy—and even if they do, they might not have the right equipment and knowledge to do so. If you have extra time and the resources at your disposal, why not try to become a mover? You’ll put those strengths to good use and help people move and get paid for it!