Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

In the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $47,860 a year ($23.01 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 80 of these jobs there. That is 16% below the $57,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,270 and $49,050; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Massachusetts tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,563 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA at a glance

Median salary

$47,860$23.01 per hour · $3,988 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,270$15.03/hr
25th percentile$44,520$21.40/hr
75th percentile$47,860$23.01/hr
90th percentile$49,050$23.58/hr
Jobs in this metro80Location quotient 0.25 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here16% belowAll-jobs median $57,030
Against Massachusetts2% aboveStatewide median $46,850
Against the U.S.3% aboveNational 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 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA after taxes

$47,860
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$47,860
Net 81%
Fed 7%
MA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,563After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,214Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,483Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,563 / yr
Massachusetts state income tax$2,073 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,661 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MA)
10th percentile$15.03/hr$2,606$31,270$26,062
25th percentile$21.40/hr$3,710$44,520$36,046
MedianMedian$23.01/hr$3,988$47,860$38,563
75th percentile$23.01/hr$3,988$47,860$38,563
90th percentile$23.58/hr$4,088$49,050$39,459

Is $47,860 a good salary in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

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$87,001Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.20.2% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household55%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area was $47,860 in May 2025, about $3,988 a month or $23.01 an hour. Statewide, the Massachusetts median for this job is $46,850, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA was $23.01 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.03 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.58.

How many forklift operators work in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

BLS estimated 80 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 1.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.25 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA run from $31,270 at the 10th percentile to $44,520 at the 25th, $47,860 at the 75th, and $49,050 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

On a median gross salary of $47,860, an estimated $38,563 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,483 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Massachusetts in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,297 (an effective rate of 19.4%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

On the median annual salary of $47,860, gross monthly income is $3,988. After federal, FICA, and Massachusetts state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,214 per month (or $1,483 every two weeks).

Is $47,860 a good salary in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

At $47,860, the median salary for forklift operators is 55% of the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA median household income ($87,001). It is 16% below the $57,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.2, so prices here run 0.2% above the U.S. average.