Asheville, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Asheville, NC?

In the Asheville, NC metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $47,010 a year ($22.60 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 700 of these jobs there. That is about the same as the $46,870 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,010 and $50,650; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,586 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Asheville, NC at a glance

Median salary

$47,010$22.60 per hour · $3,918 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,010$17.31/hr
25th percentile$39,090$18.79/hr
75th percentile$50,580$24.32/hr
90th percentile$50,650$24.35/hr
Jobs in this metro700Location quotient 0.78 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs hereabout the same asAll-jobs median $46,870
Against North Carolina8% aboveStatewide median $43,420
Against the U.S.1% 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 Asheville, NC after taxes

$47,010
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$47,010
Net 82%
Fed 7%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,586After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,215Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,484Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,461 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$1,367 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,596 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Asheville, NC, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Asheville, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$17.31/hr$3,001$36,010$30,186
25th percentile$18.79/hr$3,258$39,090$32,538
MedianMedian$22.60/hr$3,918$47,010$38,586
75th percentile$24.32/hr$4,215$50,580$41,312
90th percentile$24.35/hr$4,221$50,650$41,365

Is $47,010 a good salary in Asheville, NC?

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$71,838Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)96.53.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household65.4%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Asheville, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Asheville, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Asheville, NC metro area was $47,010 in May 2025, about $3,918 a month or $22.60 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $43,420, so the metro pays 8% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Asheville, NC?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Asheville, NC was $22.60 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.31 an hour and one in ten earned more than $24.35.

How many forklift operators work in Asheville, NC?

BLS estimated 700 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.78 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Asheville, NC?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Asheville, NC run from $36,010 at the 10th percentile to $39,090 at the 25th, $50,580 at the 75th, and $50,650 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Asheville, NC?

On a median gross salary of $47,010, an estimated $38,586 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,484 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,424 (an effective rate of 17.9%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Asheville, NC?

On the median annual salary of $47,010, gross monthly income is $3,918. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,215 per month (or $1,484 every two weeks).

Is $47,010 a good salary in Asheville, NC?

At $47,010, the median salary for forklift operators is 65.4% of the Asheville, NC median household income ($71,838). It is about the same as the $46,870 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 96.5, so prices here run 3.5% below the U.S. average.