Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Blacksburg, VA?

In the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $39,380 a year ($18.93 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 250 of these jobs there. That is 18% below the $48,120 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,460 and $49,220; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,372 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Blacksburg, VA at a glance

Median salary

$39,380$18.93 per hour · $3,282 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,460$16.57/hr
25th percentile$35,320$16.98/hr
75th percentile$46,280$22.25/hr
90th percentile$49,220$23.67/hr
Jobs in this metro250Location quotient 0.67 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here18% belowAll-jobs median $48,120
Against Virginia16% belowStatewide median $46,920
Against the U.S.15% 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 Blacksburg, VA after taxes

$39,380
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$39,380
Net 82%
Fed 6%
VA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,372After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,698Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,245Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,546 / yr
Virginia state income tax$1,450 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,013 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Blacksburg, VA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VA)
10th percentile$16.57/hr$2,872$34,460$28,701
25th percentile$16.98/hr$2,943$35,320$29,343
MedianMedian$18.93/hr$3,282$39,380$32,372
75th percentile$22.25/hr$3,857$46,280$37,519
90th percentile$23.67/hr$4,102$49,220$39,712

Is $39,380 a good salary in Blacksburg, VA?

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$65,839Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.77.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household59.8%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Blacksburg, VA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area was $39,380 in May 2025, about $3,282 a month or $18.93 an hour. Statewide, the Virginia median for this job is $46,920, so the metro pays 16% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA was $18.93 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.57 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.67.

How many forklift operators work in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

BLS estimated 250 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.67 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA run from $34,460 at the 10th percentile to $35,320 at the 25th, $46,280 at the 75th, and $49,220 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

On a median gross salary of $39,380, an estimated $32,372 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,245 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,008 (an effective rate of 17.8%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

On the median annual salary of $39,380, gross monthly income is $3,282. After federal, FICA, and Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,698 per month (or $1,245 every two weeks).

Is $39,380 a good salary in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

At $39,380, the median salary for forklift operators is 59.8% of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA median household income ($65,839). It is 18% below the $48,120 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.7, so prices here run 7.3% below the U.S. average.