Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Austin-Round Rock, TX?

In the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $46,430 a year ($22.32 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 4,250 of these jobs there. That is 18% below the $56,950 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,260 and $61,240; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $39,487 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Austin-Round Rock, TX at a glance

Median salary

$46,430$22.32 per hour · $3,869 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,260$16.95/hr
25th percentile$38,620$18.57/hr
75th percentile$50,590$24.32/hr
90th percentile$61,240$29.44/hr
Jobs in this metro4,250Location quotient 0.66 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here18% belowAll-jobs median $56,950
Against Texas2% aboveStatewide median $45,450
Against the U.S.about the same asNational 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 Austin-Round Rock, TX after taxes

$46,430
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$46,430
Net 85%
Fed 7%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$39,487After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,291Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,519Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,392 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,552 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Austin-Round Rock, TX, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$16.95/hr$2,938$35,260$30,511
25th percentile$18.57/hr$3,218$38,620$33,211
MedianMedian$22.32/hr$3,869$46,430$39,487
75th percentile$24.32/hr$4,216$50,590$42,829
90th percentile$29.44/hr$5,103$61,240$51,386

Is $46,430 a good salary in Austin-Round Rock, TX?

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$100,431Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.11.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household46.2%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Austin-Round Rock, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area was $46,430 in May 2025, about $3,869 a month or $22.32 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $45,450, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX was $22.32 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.95 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.44.

How many forklift operators work in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?

BLS estimated 4,250 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.66 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX run from $35,260 at the 10th percentile to $38,620 at the 25th, $50,590 at the 75th, and $61,240 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?

On a median gross salary of $46,430, an estimated $39,487 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,519 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,944 (an effective rate of 15%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?

On the median annual salary of $46,430, gross monthly income is $3,869. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,291 per month (or $1,519 every two weeks).

Is $46,430 a good salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?

At $46,430, the median salary for forklift operators is 46.2% of the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX median household income ($100,431). It is 18% below the $56,950 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.1, so prices here run 1.9% below the U.S. average.