Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

In the Athens-Clarke County, GA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $42,160 a year ($20.27 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 330 of these jobs there. That is 2% above the $41,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,970 and $46,610; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Georgia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $34,700 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Athens-Clarke County, GA at a glance

Median salary

$42,160$20.27 per hour · $3,513 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,970$17.29/hr
25th percentile$37,040$17.81/hr
75th percentile$45,950$22.09/hr
90th percentile$46,610$22.41/hr
Jobs in this metro330Location quotient 0.68 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here2% aboveAll-jobs median $41,220
Against Georgia2% belowStatewide median $43,210
Against the U.S.9% 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 Athens-Clarke County, GA after taxes

$42,160
$15,000$85,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$42,160
Net 82%
Fed 7%
GA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$34,700After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,892Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,335Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,879 / yr
Georgia state income tax$1,355 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,225 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Athens-Clarke County, GA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Athens-Clarke County, GA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (GA)
10th percentile$17.29/hr$2,998$35,970$30,035
25th percentile$17.81/hr$3,087$37,040$30,842
MedianMedian$20.27/hr$3,513$42,160$34,700
75th percentile$22.09/hr$3,829$45,950$37,556
90th percentile$22.41/hr$3,884$46,610$38,054

Is $42,160 a good salary in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

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$65,608Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.36.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household64.3%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Athens-Clarke County, GA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area was $42,160 in May 2025, about $3,513 a month or $20.27 an hour. Statewide, the Georgia median for this job is $43,210, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Athens-Clarke County, GA was $20.27 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.29 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.41.

How many forklift operators work in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

BLS estimated 330 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.68 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Athens-Clarke County, GA run from $35,970 at the 10th percentile to $37,040 at the 25th, $45,950 at the 75th, and $46,610 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

On a median gross salary of $42,160, an estimated $34,700 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,335 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Georgia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,460 (an effective rate of 17.7%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

On the median annual salary of $42,160, gross monthly income is $3,513. After federal, FICA, and Georgia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,892 per month (or $1,335 every two weeks).

Is $42,160 a good salary in Athens-Clarke County, GA?

At $42,160, the median salary for forklift operators is 64.3% of the Athens-Clarke County, GA median household income ($65,608). It is 2% above the $41,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.3, so prices here run 6.7% below the U.S. average.