Colorado Springs, CO metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Colorado Springs, CO?

In the Colorado Springs, CO metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $45,710 a year ($21.98 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 470 of these jobs there. That is 13% below the $52,710 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $37,900 and $63,800; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Colorado tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $37,605 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Colorado Springs, CO at a glance

Median salary

$45,710$21.98 per hour · $3,809 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$37,900$18.22/hr
25th percentile$41,840$20.11/hr
75th percentile$56,040$26.94/hr
90th percentile$63,800$30.68/hr
Jobs in this metro470Location quotient 0.30 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here13% belowAll-jobs median $52,710
Against Colorado10% belowStatewide median $50,570
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 Colorado Springs, CO after taxes

$45,710
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,710
Net 82%
Fed 7%
CO 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$37,605After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,134Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,446Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,305 / yr
Colorado state income tax$1,303 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,497 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Colorado Springs, CO, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Colorado Springs, CO metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CO)
10th percentile$18.22/hr$3,158$37,900$31,673
25th percentile$20.11/hr$3,487$41,840$34,666
MedianMedian$21.98/hr$3,809$45,710$37,605
75th percentile$26.94/hr$4,670$56,040$45,451
90th percentile$30.68/hr$5,317$63,800$51,345

Is $45,710 a good salary in Colorado Springs, CO?

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$90,144Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.70.7% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household50.7%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Colorado Springs, CO: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Colorado Springs, CO?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Colorado Springs, CO metro area was $45,710 in May 2025, about $3,809 a month or $21.98 an hour. Statewide, the Colorado median for this job is $50,570, so the metro pays 10% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Colorado Springs, CO?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Colorado Springs, CO was $21.98 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.22 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.68.

How many forklift operators work in Colorado Springs, CO?

BLS estimated 470 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 1.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.30 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Colorado Springs, CO?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Colorado Springs, CO run from $37,900 at the 10th percentile to $41,840 at the 25th, $56,040 at the 75th, and $63,800 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Colorado Springs, CO?

On a median gross salary of $45,710, an estimated $37,605 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,446 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Colorado in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,105 (an effective rate of 17.7%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Colorado Springs, CO?

On the median annual salary of $45,710, gross monthly income is $3,809. After federal, FICA, and Colorado state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,134 per month (or $1,446 every two weeks).

Is $45,710 a good salary in Colorado Springs, CO?

At $45,710, the median salary for forklift operators is 50.7% of the Colorado Springs, CO median household income ($90,144). It is 13% below the $52,710 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.7, so prices here run 0.7% above the U.S. average.