Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Boston-Cambridge, MA?

In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $47,800 a year ($22.98 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 5,030 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $66,620 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $42,160 and $61,660; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Massachusetts tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,517 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Boston-Cambridge, MA at a glance

Median salary

$47,800$22.98 per hour · $3,983 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$42,160$20.27/hr
25th percentile$46,290$22.26/hr
75th percentile$55,510$26.69/hr
90th percentile$61,660$29.64/hr
Jobs in this metro5,030Location quotient 0.37 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $66,620
Against Massachusetts2% aboveStatewide median $46,850
Against the U.S.3% aboveNational 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 Boston-Cambridge, MA after taxes

$47,800
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$47,800
Net 81%
Fed 7%
MA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,517After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,210Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,481Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,556 / yr
Massachusetts state income tax$2,070 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,657 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Boston-Cambridge, MA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MA)
10th percentile$20.27/hr$3,513$42,160$34,268
25th percentile$22.26/hr$3,858$46,290$37,380
MedianMedian$22.98/hr$3,983$47,800$38,517
75th percentile$26.69/hr$4,626$55,510$44,327
90th percentile$29.64/hr$5,138$61,660$48,961

Is $47,800 a good salary in Boston-Cambridge, MA?

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$115,863Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)108.38.3% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.3%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Boston-Cambridge, MA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area was $47,800 in May 2025, about $3,983 a month or $22.98 an hour. Statewide, the Massachusetts median for this job is $46,850, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH was $22.98 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $20.27 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.64.

How many forklift operators work in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

BLS estimated 5,030 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 1.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.37 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH run from $42,160 at the 10th percentile to $46,290 at the 25th, $55,510 at the 75th, and $61,660 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

On a median gross salary of $47,800, an estimated $38,517 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,481 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Massachusetts in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,283 (an effective rate of 19.4%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

On the median annual salary of $47,800, gross monthly income is $3,983. After federal, FICA, and Massachusetts state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,210 per month (or $1,481 every two weeks).

Is $47,800 a good salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

At $47,800, the median salary for forklift operators is 41.3% of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH median household income ($115,863). It is 28% below the $66,620 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 108.3, so prices here run 8.3% above the U.S. average.