Cedar Rapids, IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Cedar Rapids, IA?

In the Cedar Rapids, IA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $47,560 a year ($22.86 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 530 of these jobs there. That is 4% below the $49,360 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $38,370 and $63,450; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $39,239 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Cedar Rapids, IA at a glance

Median salary

$47,560$22.86 per hour · $3,963 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$38,370$18.45/hr
25th percentile$44,040$21.18/hr
75th percentile$53,410$25.68/hr
90th percentile$63,450$30.50/hr
Jobs in this metro530Location quotient 0.76 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here4% belowAll-jobs median $49,360
Against Iowaabout the same asStatewide median $47,590
Against the U.S.2% 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 Cedar Rapids, IA after taxes

$47,560
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$47,560
Net 83%
Fed 7%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$39,239After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,270Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,509Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,527 / yr
Iowa state income tax$1,155 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,638 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Cedar Rapids, IA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Cedar Rapids, IA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$18.45/hr$3,198$38,370$32,204
25th percentile$21.18/hr$3,670$44,040$36,544
MedianMedian$22.86/hr$3,963$47,560$39,239
75th percentile$25.68/hr$4,451$53,410$43,717
90th percentile$30.50/hr$5,288$63,450$51,403

Is $47,560 a good salary in Cedar Rapids, IA?

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$78,080Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.011% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household60.9%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Cedar Rapids, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Cedar Rapids, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area was $47,560 in May 2025, about $3,963 a month or $22.86 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $47,590, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Cedar Rapids, IA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Cedar Rapids, IA was $22.86 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.45 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.50.

How many forklift operators work in Cedar Rapids, IA?

BLS estimated 530 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.76 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Cedar Rapids, IA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Cedar Rapids, IA run from $38,370 at the 10th percentile to $44,040 at the 25th, $53,410 at the 75th, and $63,450 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Cedar Rapids, IA?

On a median gross salary of $47,560, an estimated $39,239 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,509 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,321 (an effective rate of 17.5%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Cedar Rapids, IA?

On the median annual salary of $47,560, gross monthly income is $3,963. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,270 per month (or $1,509 every two weeks).

Is $47,560 a good salary in Cedar Rapids, IA?

At $47,560, the median salary for forklift operators is 60.9% of the Cedar Rapids, IA median household income ($78,080). It is 4% below the $49,360 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.0, so prices here run 11% below the U.S. average.