Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

In the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $47,630 a year ($22.90 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,310 of these jobs there. That is 6% below the $50,790 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $37,520 and $78,530; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New York tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,475 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY at a glance

Median salary

$47,630$22.90 per hour · $3,969 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$37,520$18.04/hr
25th percentile$43,020$20.68/hr
75th percentile$60,620$29.14/hr
90th percentile$78,530$37.76/hr
Jobs in this metro1,310Location quotient 0.49 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here6% belowAll-jobs median $50,790
Against New York3% belowStatewide median $49,030
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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY after taxes

$47,630
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$47,630
Net 81%
Fed 7%
NY 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,475After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,206Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,480Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,536 / yr
New York state income tax$1,975 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,644 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NY)
10th percentile$18.04/hr$3,127$37,520$30,898
25th percentile$20.68/hr$3,585$43,020$35,020
MedianMedian$22.90/hr$3,969$47,630$38,475
75th percentile$29.14/hr$5,052$60,620$48,211
90th percentile$37.76/hr$6,544$78,530$60,432

Is $47,630 a good salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

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$72,237Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)95.84.2% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household65.9%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area was $47,630 in May 2025, about $3,969 a month or $22.90 an hour. Statewide, the New York median for this job is $49,030, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY was $22.90 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.04 an hour and one in ten earned more than $37.76.

How many forklift operators work in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

BLS estimated 1,310 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 2.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.49 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY run from $37,520 at the 10th percentile to $43,020 at the 25th, $60,620 at the 75th, and $78,530 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

On a median gross salary of $47,630, an estimated $38,475 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,480 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New York in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,155 (an effective rate of 19.2%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

On the median annual salary of $47,630, gross monthly income is $3,969. After federal, FICA, and New York state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,206 per month (or $1,480 every two weeks).

Is $47,630 a good salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

At $47,630, the median salary for forklift operators is 65.9% of the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY median household income ($72,237). It is 6% below the $50,790 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.8, so prices here run 4.2% below the U.S. average.