Forklift Operator salary: $46,420 median, and how to negotiate yours.
The full pay range by percentile, every state, the top-paying metro areas and similar roles, from the latest BLS survey. Place your own offer on the range.
Hourly pay, BLS May 2025: 10th percentile $17.71 · 25th $19.24 · median $22.32 · 75th $26.33 · 90th $30.06.
The median annual wage for industrial truck and tractor operators in the United States was $46,420 in May 2025 (BLS). The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $36,840 and the top 10% earned more than $62,520. That median is 0.9 times the $50,980 median for all occupations. The highest-paying state was District of Columbia ($83,720).
Data Government data groups this job as Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators (O*NET-SOC 53-7051.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.
- 10th percentile
- $36,840
- lowest-paid 10% earn less
- 25th percentile
- $40,030
- a quarter earn less
- 75th percentile
- $54,770
- a quarter earn more
- 90th percentile
- $62,520
- top 10% earn more
More on forklift operator pay
The median hourly wage for industrial truck and tractor operators in the United States was $22.32 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
The middle half of industrial truck and tractor operators in the United States earned between $40,030 and $54,770 a year in May 2025 (25th to 75th percentile, BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
The lowest-paid 10% of industrial truck and tractor operators in the United States earned less than $36,840 a year in May 2025, and the top 10% more than $62,520 (BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
The mean annual wage for industrial truck and tractor operators in the United States was $48,370 in May 2025, according to BLS; the mean is a different measure from the median.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS estimated that 774,420 people were employed as industrial truck and tractor operators in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Forklift Operator salary in every state
Data BLS state estimates, May 2025. 51 states and DC published a median for this occupation. Sort by pay or by number employed.
- District of Columbia$83,720
- New Mexico$62,150
- Delaware$60,350
- Wyoming$59,820
- New Hampshire$54,460
- California89,620
- Texas88,780
- Georgia50,260
- Ohio42,360
- Pennsylvania42,110
| State | 10th–90th percentile | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $83,720 | $57,050–$83,720 | n/a |
| New Mexico | $62,150 | $35,900–$65,090 | 2,620 |
| Delaware | $60,350 | $38,210–$60,350 | 5,230 |
| Wyoming | $59,820 | $38,220–$74,160 | 790 |
| New Hampshire | $54,460 | $40,600–$62,750 | 1,450 |
| Alaska | $54,190 | $37,650–$72,720 | 410 |
| Hawaii | $53,640 | $41,140–$118,140 | 880 |
| Oregon | $50,760 | $40,410–$63,150 | 8,560 |
| Colorado | $50,570 | $40,560–$65,630 | 8,570 |
| Washington | $49,910 | $41,600–$62,920 | 18,750 |
| Minnesota | $49,740 | $39,940–$73,870 | 7,110 |
| North Dakota | $49,260 | $40,720–$62,700 | 930 |
| Utah | $49,040 | $38,270–$65,760 | 6,830 |
| New York | $49,030 | $38,330–$73,630 | 18,420 |
| Louisiana | $48,950 | $35,980–$61,230 | 7,680 |
| Florida | $48,370 | $37,050–$62,960 | 38,400 |
| Arizona | $48,110 | $38,560–$62,940 | 12,340 |
| Montana | $48,060 | $36,450–$64,970 | 910 |
| California | $47,770 | $38,650–$63,330 | 89,620 |
| Maine | $47,730 | $40,440–$64,490 | 2,900 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,730 | $38,160–$62,510 | 42,110 |
| Illinois | $47,720 | $37,990–$63,140 | 29,450 |
| Wisconsin | $47,720 | $38,960–$62,940 | 12,150 |
| Iowa | $47,590 | $38,640–$61,000 | 7,770 |
| Kansas | $47,430 | $37,910–$58,640 | 7,700 |
| South Dakota | $47,410 | $37,780–$61,080 | 1,940 |
| Vermont | $47,380 | $39,040–$61,290 | 950 |
| Connecticut | $47,190 | $38,790–$71,860 | 3,780 |
| Virginia | $46,920 | $37,250–$62,260 | 19,320 |
| Massachusetts | $46,850 | $39,850–$57,410 | 8,390 |
| Nebraska | $46,730 | $37,020–$59,100 | 5,020 |
| Kentucky | $46,630 | $35,540–$70,840 | 11,270 |
| Idaho | $46,600 | $36,400–$59,840 | 2,560 |
| Ohio | $46,450 | $37,960–$63,660 | 42,360 |
| New Jersey | $46,100 | $36,680–$65,820 | 21,790 |
| Indiana | $45,650 | $37,250–$61,630 | 23,090 |
| Maryland | $45,630 | $39,320–$61,040 | 13,740 |
| Texas | $45,450 | $34,300–$59,780 | 88,780 |
| Nevada | $45,230 | $37,560–$66,950 | 7,300 |
| Michigan | $45,220 | $37,200–$71,150 | 23,470 |
| Missouri | $45,190 | $36,240–$64,620 | 11,470 |
| Rhode Island | $45,010 | $38,960–$58,330 | 780 |
| Alabama | $44,880 | $33,290–$60,750 | 15,360 |
| Oklahoma | $44,700 | $35,400–$60,120 | 7,850 |
| Arkansas | $43,780 | $33,890–$57,260 | 10,850 |
| South Carolina | $43,680 | $35,780–$56,980 | 14,210 |
| Mississippi | $43,420 | $32,390–$51,260 | 9,640 |
| North Carolina | $43,420 | $35,940–$56,000 | 26,830 |
| Georgia | $43,210 | $36,690–$59,860 | 50,260 |
| Tennessee | $42,100 | $35,520–$54,660 | 20,070 |
| West Virginia | $41,670 | $28,700–$54,920 | 1,400 |
Where the median is highest
Data Metropolitan areas with at least 100 people employed in the occupation, BLS May 2025.
How the pay compares
Data National medians for related occupations (O*NET related roles, BLS pay).
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Our view If you cite market data, cite this page's source: the BLS median for your state and the percentile your offer sits at. A specific, sourced number is easier to agree to than a feeling.
What OEWS reports by employing industry
Data Median and mean annual wage for forklift operator jobs in the industries employing the most of them (May 2025). Among the 8 industries here that meet TryHired's reliability rule (5,000+ jobs, 5%+ of establishments reporting, low sampling error, a non-degenerate wage distribution), OEWS reports the highest median for those employed in warehousing and storage ($48,170).
| Industry | Jobs | Median annual wage | Mean annual wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warehousing and Storage | 286,750 | $48,170 | $50,390 |
| Employment Services | 65,460 | $38,100 | $39,310 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) | 34,720 | $45,890 | $46,890 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) | 29,430 | $46,950 | $48,300 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation | 23,920 | $46,970 | $56,190 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 14,030 | $42,030 | $42,240 |
| Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 12,120 | $47,720 | $48,060 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 10,570 | $44,430 | $46,080 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates (A_MEDIAN and A_MEAN fields), detailed industries with at least 1,000 such jobs. Since May 2025 OEWS publishes specific values for many wages that used to appear only as “$239,200 or more”; values BLS still marks that way are shown that way. Industry estimates differ; they are not a forecast of anyone's pay after a move.
How this page is built
Wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates for May 2025 (national, state and metropolitan area), for the occupation shown. OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay: they include base pay, commissions, production bonuses and tips, and exclude overtime, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and benefits. Percentiles describe all workers in the occupation, not entry or senior levels.
- Pay at a specific employer, or for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
- Experience level: percentiles are not seniority bands.
- Equity, bonuses outside OEWS's definition, and benefits.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.