Forklift operator pay in Chicago-Naperville, IL at a glance
Median salary
$47,950$23.05 per hour · $3,996 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Forklift operator salary in Chicago-Naperville, IL after taxes
Forklift operators pay range in Chicago-Naperville, IL, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (IL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.37/hr | $3,183 | $38,200 | $31,128 |
| 25th percentile | $20.72/hr | $3,592 | $43,100 | $34,822 |
| MedianMedian | $23.05/hr | $3,996 | $47,950 | $38,479 |
| 75th percentile | $27.72/hr | $4,805 | $57,660 | $45,800 |
| 90th percentile | $30.54/hr | $5,293 | $63,520 | $50,219 |
Is $47,950 a good salary in Chicago-Naperville, IL?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for forklift operators next to both.
Forklift operators pay in Illinois and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Forklift operator pay in Chicago-Naperville, IL: common questions
What is the median salary for forklift operators in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area was $47,950 in May 2025, about $3,996 a month or $23.05 an hour. Statewide, the Illinois median for this job is $47,720, so the metro pays about the same as the state.
What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN was $23.05 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.37 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.54.
How many forklift operators work in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
BLS estimated 22,320 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 4.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.99 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for forklift operators in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN run from $38,200 at the 10th percentile to $43,100 at the 25th, $57,660 at the 75th, and $63,520 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
On a median gross salary of $47,950, an estimated $38,479 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,480 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Illinois in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,471 (an effective rate of 19.8%).
How much do forklift operators make per month in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
On the median annual salary of $47,950, gross monthly income is $3,996. After federal, FICA, and Illinois state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,207 per month (or $1,480 every two weeks).
Is $47,950 a good salary in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
At $47,950, the median salary for forklift operators is 52.8% of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median household income ($90,887). It is 12% below the $54,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.6, so prices here run 3.6% above the U.S. average.