Charlottesville, VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Charlottesville, VA?

In the Charlottesville, VA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $45,450 a year ($21.85 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 80 of these jobs there. That is 18% below the $55,180 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,280 and $65,050; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $36,900 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Charlottesville, VA at a glance

Median salary

$45,450$21.85 per hour · $3,788 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,280$17.44/hr
25th percentile$38,660$18.59/hr
75th percentile$57,700$27.74/hr
90th percentile$65,050$31.27/hr
Jobs in this metro80Location quotient 0.14 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here18% belowAll-jobs median $55,180
Against Virginia3% belowStatewide median $46,920
Against the U.S.2% 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 Charlottesville, VA after taxes

$45,450
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,450
Net 81%
Fed 7%
VA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$36,900After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,075Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,419Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,274 / yr
Virginia state income tax$1,799 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,477 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Charlottesville, VA, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Charlottesville, VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VA)
10th percentile$17.44/hr$3,023$36,280$30,059
25th percentile$18.59/hr$3,222$38,660$31,834
MedianMedian$21.85/hr$3,788$45,450$36,900
75th percentile$27.74/hr$4,808$57,700$46,038
90th percentile$31.27/hr$5,421$65,050$51,521

Is $45,450 a good salary in Charlottesville, VA?

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$93,598Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)99.10.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.6%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Charlottesville, VA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Charlottesville, VA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Charlottesville, VA metro area was $45,450 in May 2025, about $3,788 a month or $21.85 an hour. Statewide, the Virginia median for this job is $46,920, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Charlottesville, VA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Charlottesville, VA was $21.85 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.44 an hour and one in ten earned more than $31.27.

How many forklift operators work in Charlottesville, VA?

BLS estimated 80 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 0.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.14 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Charlottesville, VA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Charlottesville, VA run from $36,280 at the 10th percentile to $38,660 at the 25th, $57,700 at the 75th, and $65,050 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Charlottesville, VA?

On a median gross salary of $45,450, an estimated $36,900 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,419 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,550 (an effective rate of 18.8%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Charlottesville, VA?

On the median annual salary of $45,450, gross monthly income is $3,788. After federal, FICA, and Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,075 per month (or $1,419 every two weeks).

Is $45,450 a good salary in Charlottesville, VA?

At $45,450, the median salary for forklift operators is 48.6% of the Charlottesville, VA median household income ($93,598). It is 18% below the $55,180 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 99.1, so prices here run 0.9% below the U.S. average.