Temporary work is becoming more financially competitive overall, but new analysis from altLINE shows that the trend does not apply evenly across all occupations, especially in some logistics, technical manufacturing, and heavy-machinery roles.
In fact, tank car, truck, and ship loaders ranked among the five worst roles for temporary work by comparative hourly wages, according to “Best Roles for Temp Workers,” released by altLINE.
“In logistics, manufacturing, and industrial work, some roles are simply harder to fill with temporary labor than others. Jobs involving heavy equipment with additional safety procedures and specialized training usually require more experience and oversight, which can change the economics of temp staffing pretty quickly. Employers should evaluate those positions individually instead of assuming temp labor works the same way across every role,” says Jennifer Lockett, operations manager at altLINE.
Key takeaways:
· Temporary workers in these roles earned $16.66 per hour, compared with $25.14 per hour for full-time counterparts; 34% less.
· The lowest-ranking roles for temporary work showed a broader pattern across technical manufacturing and heavy machinery jobs. This divide may reflect roles that require specialized training or strict health and safety compliance requirements, where temporary workers may be valued differently than full-time employees.
· Temporary-worker wages are gaining ground overall. From 2016-2024, temp-worker wages rose 43%, while temporary-help industry pricing, as measured by PPI, rose 29%. The gap suggests staffing firms may have been absorbing more labor-cost pressure rather than fully passing it through to clients.
- The bottom five roles showed a pattern in technical manufacturing and heavy machinery, suggesting temp work may be less financially competitive in some roles involving specialized training, health and safety compliance requirements, or heavy machinery.
- Only four of 22 major occupational fields paid temporary workers more than full-time workers in the latest full-year dataset.
- The overall temp/full-time wage gap narrowed, with temp workers earning 27% less than the overall median in 2016 compared with 21% less in 2024.
- Sales-related roles became more favorable to temporary workers, moving from an 11% temp pay premium in 2020 to a 34% premium in 2024.
- Business and financial operations roles moved in the opposite direction, with temporary workers going from earning 13% less than full-time workers in 2020 to 22% less in 2024.
