Appleton, WI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Appleton, WI?

In the Appleton, WI metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $47,540 a year ($22.86 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 770 of these jobs there. That is 5% below the $49,910 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $38,960 and $57,900; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Wisconsin tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,923 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Appleton, WI at a glance

Median salary

$47,540$22.86 per hour · $3,962 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$38,960$18.73/hr
25th percentile$40,480$19.46/hr
75th percentile$49,350$23.73/hr
90th percentile$57,900$27.84/hr
Jobs in this metro770Location quotient 1.25 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here5% belowAll-jobs median $49,910
Against Wisconsinabout the same asStatewide median $47,720
Against the U.S.2% aboveNational median $46,420

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

Forklift operator salary in Appleton, WI after taxes

$47,540
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$47,540
Net 82%
Fed 7%
WI 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,923After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,244Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,497Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,525 / yr
Wisconsin state income tax$1,456 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,637 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Appleton, WI, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Appleton, WI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WI)
10th percentile$18.73/hr$3,247$38,960$32,452
25th percentile$19.46/hr$3,373$40,480$33,598
MedianMedian$22.86/hr$3,962$47,540$38,923
75th percentile$23.73/hr$4,113$49,350$40,288
90th percentile$27.84/hr$4,825$57,900$46,737

Is $47,540 a good salary in Appleton, WI?

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$85,825Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.47.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household55.4%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Appleton, WI: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Appleton, WI?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Appleton, WI metro area was $47,540 in May 2025, about $3,962 a month or $22.86 an hour. Statewide, the Wisconsin median for this job is $47,720, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Appleton, WI?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Appleton, WI was $22.86 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.73 an hour and one in ten earned more than $27.84.

How many forklift operators work in Appleton, WI?

BLS estimated 770 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 6.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.25 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Appleton, WI?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Appleton, WI run from $38,960 at the 10th percentile to $40,480 at the 25th, $49,350 at the 75th, and $57,900 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Appleton, WI?

On a median gross salary of $47,540, an estimated $38,923 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,497 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Wisconsin in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,617 (an effective rate of 18.1%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Appleton, WI?

On the median annual salary of $47,540, gross monthly income is $3,962. After federal, FICA, and Wisconsin state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,244 per month (or $1,497 every two weeks).

Is $47,540 a good salary in Appleton, WI?

At $47,540, the median salary for forklift operators is 55.4% of the Appleton, WI median household income ($85,825). It is 5% below the $49,910 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.4, so prices here run 7.6% below the U.S. average.