Columbia, MO metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Columbia, MO?

In the Columbia, MO metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $41,650 a year ($20.03 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 120 of these jobs there. That is 12% below the $47,260 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,800 and $49,470; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Missouri tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $34,638 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Columbia, MO at a glance

Median salary

$41,650$20.03 per hour · $3,471 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,800$16.73/hr
25th percentile$36,740$17.66/hr
75th percentile$49,420$23.76/hr
90th percentile$49,470$23.78/hr
Jobs in this metro120Location quotient 0.22 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here12% belowAll-jobs median $47,260
Against Missouri8% belowStatewide median $45,190
Against the U.S.10% 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 Columbia, MO after taxes

$41,650
$15,000$85,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$41,650
Net 83%
Fed 7%
MO 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$34,638After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,886Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,332Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,818 / yr
Missouri state income tax$1,008 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,186 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Columbia, MO, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Columbia, MO metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MO)
10th percentile$16.73/hr$2,900$34,800$29,446
25th percentile$17.66/hr$3,062$36,740$30,916
MedianMedian$20.03/hr$3,471$41,650$34,638
75th percentile$23.76/hr$4,118$49,420$40,527
90th percentile$23.78/hr$4,123$49,470$40,564

Is $41,650 a good salary in Columbia, MO?

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$72,340Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.410.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household57.6%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Columbia, MO: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Columbia, MO?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Columbia, MO metro area was $41,650 in May 2025, about $3,471 a month or $20.03 an hour. Statewide, the Missouri median for this job is $45,190, so the metro pays 8% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Columbia, MO?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Columbia, MO was $20.03 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.73 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.78.

How many forklift operators work in Columbia, MO?

BLS estimated 120 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 1.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.22 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Columbia, MO?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Columbia, MO run from $34,800 at the 10th percentile to $36,740 at the 25th, $49,420 at the 75th, and $49,470 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Columbia, MO?

On a median gross salary of $41,650, an estimated $34,638 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,332 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Missouri in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,012 (an effective rate of 16.8%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Columbia, MO?

On the median annual salary of $41,650, gross monthly income is $3,471. After federal, FICA, and Missouri state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,886 per month (or $1,332 every two weeks).

Is $41,650 a good salary in Columbia, MO?

At $41,650, the median salary for forklift operators is 57.6% of the Columbia, MO median household income ($72,340). It is 12% below the $47,260 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.4, so prices here run 10.6% below the U.S. average.