Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Baltimore-Columbia, MD?

In the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $43,850 a year ($21.08 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 8,680 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $59,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $40,350 and $60,650; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Maryland tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $35,694 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Baltimore-Columbia, MD at a glance

Median salary

$43,850$21.08 per hour · $3,654 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$40,350$19.40/hr
25th percentile$42,660$20.51/hr
75th percentile$49,120$23.62/hr
90th percentile$60,650$29.16/hr
Jobs in this metro8,680Location quotient 1.28 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $59,070
Against Maryland4% belowStatewide median $45,630
Against the U.S.6% 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 Baltimore-Columbia, MD after taxes

$43,850
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$43,850
Net 81%
Fed 7%
MD 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$35,694After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,975Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,373Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,082 / yr
Maryland state income tax$1,719 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,355 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Baltimore-Columbia, MD, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MD)
10th percentile$19.40/hr$3,363$40,350$33,048
25th percentile$20.51/hr$3,555$42,660$34,795
MedianMedian$21.08/hr$3,654$43,850$35,694
75th percentile$23.62/hr$4,093$49,120$39,678
90th percentile$29.16/hr$5,054$60,650$48,395

Is $43,850 a good salary in Baltimore-Columbia, MD?

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$99,470Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)104.54.5% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household44.1%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Baltimore-Columbia, MD: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area was $43,850 in May 2025, about $3,654 a month or $21.08 an hour. Statewide, the Maryland median for this job is $45,630, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD was $21.08 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $19.40 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.16.

How many forklift operators work in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?

BLS estimated 8,680 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 6.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.28 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD run from $40,350 at the 10th percentile to $42,660 at the 25th, $49,120 at the 75th, and $60,650 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?

On a median gross salary of $43,850, an estimated $35,694 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,373 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Maryland in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,156 (an effective rate of 18.6%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?

On the median annual salary of $43,850, gross monthly income is $3,654. After federal, FICA, and Maryland state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,975 per month (or $1,373 every two weeks).

Is $43,850 a good salary in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?

At $43,850, the median salary for forklift operators is 44.1% of the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD median household income ($99,470). It is 26% below the $59,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 104.5, so prices here run 4.5% above the U.S. average.