Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Charlotte-Concord, NC?

In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $43,880 a year ($21.10 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 8,330 of these jobs there. That is 12% below the $49,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,390 and $52,370; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $36,195 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Charlotte-Concord, NC at a glance

Median salary

$43,880$21.10 per hour · $3,657 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,390$17.49/hr
25th percentile$38,520$18.52/hr
75th percentile$47,510$22.84/hr
90th percentile$52,370$25.18/hr
Jobs in this metro8,330Location quotient 1.23 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here12% belowAll-jobs median $49,990
Against North Carolina1% aboveStatewide median $43,420
Against the U.S.5% 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 Charlotte-Concord, NC after taxes

$43,880
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$43,880
Net 82%
Fed 7%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$36,195After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,016Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,392Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,086 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$1,242 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,357 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Charlotte-Concord, NC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$17.49/hr$3,033$36,390$30,476
25th percentile$18.52/hr$3,210$38,520$32,103
MedianMedian$21.10/hr$3,657$43,880$36,195
75th percentile$22.84/hr$3,959$47,510$38,967
90th percentile$25.18/hr$4,364$52,370$42,678

Is $43,880 a good salary in Charlotte-Concord, NC?

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$83,304Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.32.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household52.7%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Charlotte-Concord, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area was $43,880 in May 2025, about $3,657 a month or $21.10 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $43,420, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC was $21.10 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.49 an hour and one in ten earned more than $25.18.

How many forklift operators work in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

BLS estimated 8,330 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 6.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.23 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC run from $36,390 at the 10th percentile to $38,520 at the 25th, $47,510 at the 75th, and $52,370 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

On a median gross salary of $43,880, an estimated $36,195 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,392 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,685 (an effective rate of 17.5%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

On the median annual salary of $43,880, gross monthly income is $3,657. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,016 per month (or $1,392 every two weeks).

Is $43,880 a good salary in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

At $43,880, the median salary for forklift operators is 52.7% of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median household income ($83,304). It is 12% below the $49,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.3, so prices here run 2.7% below the U.S. average.