Bay City, MI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Bay City, MI?

In the Bay City, MI metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $45,120 a year ($21.69 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 130 of these jobs there. That is 1% below the $45,620 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,300 and $55,170; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Michigan tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $36,767 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Bay City, MI at a glance

Median salary

$45,120$21.69 per hour · $3,760 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,300$16.49/hr
25th percentile$37,130$17.85/hr
75th percentile$45,910$22.07/hr
90th percentile$55,170$26.52/hr
Jobs in this metro130Location quotient 0.75 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here1% belowAll-jobs median $45,620
Against Michiganabout the same asStatewide median $45,220
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 Bay City, MI after taxes

$45,120
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,120
Net 81%
Fed 7%
MI 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$36,767After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,064Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,414Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,234 / yr
Michigan state income tax$1,667 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,452 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Bay City, MI, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Bay City, MI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MI)
10th percentile$16.49/hr$2,858$34,300$28,533
25th percentile$17.85/hr$3,094$37,130$30,687
MedianMedian$21.69/hr$3,760$45,120$36,767
75th percentile$22.07/hr$3,826$45,910$37,368
90th percentile$26.52/hr$4,598$55,170$44,415

Is $45,120 a good salary in Bay City, MI?

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$61,763Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.98.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household73.1%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Bay City, MI: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Bay City, MI?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Bay City, MI metro area was $45,120 in May 2025, about $3,760 a month or $21.69 an hour. Statewide, the Michigan median for this job is $45,220, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Bay City, MI?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Bay City, MI was $21.69 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.49 an hour and one in ten earned more than $26.52.

How many forklift operators work in Bay City, MI?

BLS estimated 130 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.75 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Bay City, MI?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Bay City, MI run from $34,300 at the 10th percentile to $37,130 at the 25th, $45,910 at the 75th, and $55,170 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Bay City, MI?

On a median gross salary of $45,120, an estimated $36,767 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,414 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Michigan in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,353 (an effective rate of 18.5%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Bay City, MI?

On the median annual salary of $45,120, gross monthly income is $3,760. After federal, FICA, and Michigan state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,064 per month (or $1,414 every two weeks).

Is $45,120 a good salary in Bay City, MI?

At $45,120, the median salary for forklift operators is 73.1% of the Bay City, MI median household income ($61,763). It is 1% below the $45,620 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.9, so prices here run 8.1% below the U.S. average.