Chico, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Chico, CA?

In the Chico, CA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $45,820 a year ($22.03 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 240 of these jobs there. That is 5% below the $48,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $37,790 and $62,630; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,181 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Chico, CA at a glance

Median salary

$45,820$22.03 per hour · $3,818 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$37,790$18.17/hr
25th percentile$39,920$19.19/hr
75th percentile$51,080$24.56/hr
90th percentile$62,630$30.11/hr
Jobs in this metro240Location quotient 0.61 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here5% belowAll-jobs median $48,050
Against California4% belowStatewide median $47,770
Against the U.S.1% 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 Chico, CA after taxes

$45,820
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,820
Net 83%
Fed 7%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,181After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,182Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,469Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,318 / yr
California state income tax$815 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,505 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Chico, CA, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Chico, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$18.17/hr$3,149$37,790$32,050
25th percentile$19.19/hr$3,327$39,920$33,676
MedianMedian$22.03/hr$3,818$45,820$38,181
75th percentile$24.56/hr$4,257$51,080$42,118
90th percentile$30.11/hr$5,219$62,630$50,706

Is $45,820 a good salary in Chico, CA?

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$67,928Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)101.21.2% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household67.5%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Chico, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Chico, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Chico, CA metro area was $45,820 in May 2025, about $3,818 a month or $22.03 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $47,770, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Chico, CA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Chico, CA was $22.03 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.17 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.11.

How many forklift operators work in Chico, CA?

BLS estimated 240 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.61 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Chico, CA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Chico, CA run from $37,790 at the 10th percentile to $39,920 at the 25th, $51,080 at the 75th, and $62,630 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Chico, CA?

On a median gross salary of $45,820, an estimated $38,181 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,469 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,639 (an effective rate of 16.7%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Chico, CA?

On the median annual salary of $45,820, gross monthly income is $3,818. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,182 per month (or $1,469 every two weeks).

Is $45,820 a good salary in Chico, CA?

At $45,820, the median salary for forklift operators is 67.5% of the Chico, CA median household income ($67,928). It is 5% below the $48,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 101.2, so prices here run 1.2% above the U.S. average.