Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?

In the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $44,980 a year ($21.62 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,370 of these jobs there. That is 5% below the $47,470 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,840 and $59,410; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $37,540 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Bakersfield-Delano, CA at a glance

Median salary

$44,980$21.62 per hour · $3,748 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,840$17.71/hr
25th percentile$39,470$18.97/hr
75th percentile$57,290$27.54/hr
90th percentile$59,410$28.56/hr
Jobs in this metro2,370Location quotient 1.41 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here5% belowAll-jobs median $47,470
Against California6% belowStatewide median $47,770
Against the U.S.3% 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 Bakersfield-Delano, CA after taxes

$44,980
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$44,980
Net 83%
Fed 7%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$37,540After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,128Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,444Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,218 / yr
California state income tax$782 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,441 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Bakersfield-Delano, CA, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$17.71/hr$3,070$36,840$31,325
25th percentile$18.97/hr$3,289$39,470$33,333
MedianMedian$21.62/hr$3,748$44,980$37,540
75th percentile$27.54/hr$4,774$57,290$46,736
90th percentile$28.56/hr$4,951$59,410$48,312

Is $44,980 a good salary in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?

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$70,210Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.90.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household64.1%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Bakersfield-Delano, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area was $44,980 in May 2025, about $3,748 a month or $21.62 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $47,770, so the metro pays 6% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Bakersfield-Delano, CA was $21.62 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.71 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.56.

How many forklift operators work in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?

BLS estimated 2,370 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 7.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.41 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Bakersfield-Delano, CA run from $36,840 at the 10th percentile to $39,470 at the 25th, $57,290 at the 75th, and $59,410 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?

On a median gross salary of $44,980, an estimated $37,540 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,444 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,440 (an effective rate of 16.5%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?

On the median annual salary of $44,980, gross monthly income is $3,748. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,128 per month (or $1,444 every two weeks).

Is $44,980 a good salary in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?

At $44,980, the median salary for forklift operators is 64.1% of the Bakersfield-Delano, CA median household income ($70,210). It is 5% below the $47,470 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.9, so prices here run 0.9% above the U.S. average.