Altoona, PA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Altoona, PA?

In the Altoona, PA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $39,460 a year ($18.97 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 340 of these jobs there. That is 11% below the $44,270 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,920 and $54,460; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Pennsylvania tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,675 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Altoona, PA at a glance

Median salary

$39,460$18.97 per hour · $3,288 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,920$16.79/hr
25th percentile$37,240$17.90/hr
75th percentile$43,130$20.74/hr
90th percentile$54,460$26.18/hr
Jobs in this metro340Location quotient 1.18 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here11% belowAll-jobs median $44,270
Against Pennsylvania17% belowStatewide median $47,730
Against the U.S.15% belowNational median $46,420

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Forklift operator salary in Altoona, PA after taxes

$39,460
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$39,460
Net 83%
Fed 6%
PA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,675After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,723Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,257Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,555 / yr
Pennsylvania state income tax$1,211 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,019 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Altoona, PA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Altoona, PA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Altoona, PA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (PA)
10th percentile$16.79/hr$2,910$34,920$29,166
25th percentile$17.90/hr$3,103$37,240$30,959
MedianMedian$18.97/hr$3,288$39,460$32,675
75th percentile$20.74/hr$3,594$43,130$35,511
90th percentile$26.18/hr$4,538$54,460$44,267

Is $39,460 a good salary in Altoona, PA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for forklift operators next to both.

Median household income$62,382Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.510.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household63.3%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Forklift operator pay in Altoona, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Altoona, PA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Altoona, PA metro area was $39,460 in May 2025, about $3,288 a month or $18.97 an hour. Statewide, the Pennsylvania median for this job is $47,730, so the metro pays 17% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Altoona, PA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Altoona, PA was $18.97 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.79 an hour and one in ten earned more than $26.18.

How many forklift operators work in Altoona, PA?

BLS estimated 340 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 5.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.18 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Altoona, PA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Altoona, PA run from $34,920 at the 10th percentile to $37,240 at the 25th, $43,130 at the 75th, and $54,460 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Altoona, PA?

On a median gross salary of $39,460, an estimated $32,675 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,257 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Pennsylvania in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,785 (an effective rate of 17.2%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Altoona, PA?

On the median annual salary of $39,460, gross monthly income is $3,288. After federal, FICA, and Pennsylvania state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,723 per month (or $1,257 every two weeks).

Is $39,460 a good salary in Altoona, PA?

At $39,460, the median salary for forklift operators is 63.3% of the Altoona, PA median household income ($62,382). It is 11% below the $44,270 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.5, so prices here run 10.5% below the U.S. average.