Material handlers

National Occupational Classification (NOC): 75101

Fast Facts

  • Average Pay: N/A
  • Future Growth: N/A
  • Skill Level: N/A
  • Employment Size: N/A
  • Unemployment: N/A
  • Full-time Share: N/A

Sample Job Titles

  • Bin filler
  • Conveyor console operator
  • Forklift truck operator
  • Freight handler (except air transport)
  • Furniture mover
  • Lumber piler - building supplies
  • Stockpiler
  • Warehouseman/woman
  • Truck loader


What do material handlers do?

Material handlers handle, move, load and unload materials by hand or using a variety of material handling equipment. They are employed by transportation, storage and moving companies, and by a variety of manufacturing and processing companies and retail and wholesale warehouses.

Material handlers perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Load, unload and move products and materials by hand or using basic material handling equipment
  • Move household appliances and furniture onto and off moving trucks or vans
  • Perform other material handling activities such as counting, weighing, sorting, packing and unpacking.
  • Operate winches and other loading devices to load and unload materials onto and off trucks, railway cars and loading docks of warehouses and industrial establishments
  • Operate industrial trucks, tractors, loaders and other equipment to transport materials to and from transportation vehicles and loading docks and to store and retrieve materials in warehouses
  • Connect hoses or pipes and operate equipment to load and unload liquid petroleum, chemical or other products into or from tank cars, tank trucks or storage tanks
  • Operate equipment to dump materials such as coal, ore and grain into or to remove materials from railway cars, trucks or other vehicles
  • Operate conveyors and equipment to transfer grain or other materials from transportation vehicles to elevators, bins or other storage areas
  • May perform other activities, such as opening containers and crates, filling warehouse orders, assisting in taking inventory and weighing and checking materials.

Source: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021, Employment and Social Development Canada

 

Material handlers work in many subsectors (NAICS) in Newfoundland and Labrador, including:

  • 311   Food manufacturing
  • 452   General merchandise stores
  • 493   Warehousing and storage
  • 444   Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers
  • 484   Truck transportation
  • 541   Professional, scientific and technical services
  • 114   Fishing, hunting and trapping
  • 212   Mining and quarrying (except oil and gas)
  • 413   Food, beverage and tobacco merchant wholesalers
  • 442   Furniture and home furnishings stores

Source: Census 2021, Statistics Canada

 

Short and Long Term Occupational Projections

Short Term Projections for 2023-2025

The employment outlook will be moderate for material handlers in Newfoundland and Labrador (rating of 3 out of 5) for the 2023-2025 period.

Source: Job Bank, Government of Canada

 

Long Term Projections for 2023-2032

Material handlers belong to the broader occupational group 7510 (Longshore workers and material handlers). This group is forecast to be balanced (rating of 2.3 out of 4) over the next several years, meaning projected labour supply is expected to meet forecasted job openings.

Source: Department of Finance, Occupation Projections (Summer 2023)

 

Number of Job Postings in 2023

During 2023, there were 527 public job postings for this occupation, with the following distribution:

Avalon:  64% Western:  14%
Eastern:  2% Labrador:  7%
Central:  10% NL-unspecified:  2%

Source: Lightcast (note: data used in this analysis reflects new unique monthly postings which are totaled for the calendar year)



Who works as material handlers in Newfoundland and Labrador?

During the reference week of May 2021, there were approximately 1,635 people working in this occupation in Newfoundland and Labrador. 91% of those employed were Male+ and 9% of those employed were Female+.

Here is the age group breakdown for this group of workers:

15 to 24 25 to 54 55 to 64 65+
16% 60% 20% 4%

Source: Census 2021, Statistics Canada

 

How much do material handlers make?

Annual Earnings

The median employment income for all material handlers in the reference year 2020 (2,005 workers in total, including those working part-time and full-time, as well as part-year and full-year) was $30,600.

Source: Census 2021, Statistics Canada

 

Hourly Earnings

Salary information for material handlers in Newfoundland and Labrador is as follows:

Low ($/hour) Median ($/hour) High ($/hour)
Newfoundland and Labrador $15.00 $17.60 $28.00

 

The following low, median, and high wages are for Canada:

Low ($/hour) Median ($/hour) High ($/hour)
$15.00 $20.00 $29.59

Source: Job Bank, Government of Canada

 

Most Frequently Sought Skills from Job Postings (2023)

  • Warehousing
  • Forklift Truck
  • Order Picking
  • Material Handling Equipment
  • Inventory Management
  • Palletizing
  • Shipping And Receiving
  • Housekeeping
  • Occupational Safety And Health
  • Merchandising

Source: Lightcast

 



What training is required?

  • Some secondary school education may be required.
  • Physical strength is required for manual material handlers who work with heavy materials.

Source: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021, Employment and Social Development Canada

* Find public and private education, training and skills development opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador here.