Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

In the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $34,630 a year ($16.65 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 700 of these jobs there. That is 5% below the $36,490 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,780 and $44,210; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,005 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX at a glance

Median salary

$34,630$16.65 per hour · $2,886 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,780$13.36/hr
25th percentile$29,270$14.07/hr
75th percentile$38,860$18.68/hr
90th percentile$44,210$21.25/hr
Jobs in this metro700Location quotient 0.89 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here5% belowAll-jobs median $36,490
Against Texas24% belowStatewide median $45,450
Against the U.S.25% 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 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX after taxes

$34,630
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,630
Net 87%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,005After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,500Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,154Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,976 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,649 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$13.36/hr$2,315$27,780$24,487
25th percentile$14.07/hr$2,439$29,270$25,698
MedianMedian$16.65/hr$2,886$34,630$30,005
75th percentile$18.68/hr$3,238$38,860$33,404
90th percentile$21.25/hr$3,684$44,210$37,703

Is $34,630 a good salary in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

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$52,601Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)86.014% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household65.8%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro area was $34,630 in May 2025, about $2,886 a month or $16.65 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $45,450, so the metro pays 24% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX was $16.65 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.36 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.25.

How many forklift operators work in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

BLS estimated 700 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 4.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.89 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX run from $27,780 at the 10th percentile to $29,270 at the 25th, $38,860 at the 75th, and $44,210 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

On a median gross salary of $34,630, an estimated $30,005 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,154 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,625 (an effective rate of 13.4%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

On the median annual salary of $34,630, gross monthly income is $2,886. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,500 per month (or $1,154 every two weeks).

Is $34,630 a good salary in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

At $34,630, the median salary for forklift operators is 65.8% of the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX median household income ($52,601). It is 5% below the $36,490 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 86.0, so prices here run 14% below the U.S. average.