Columbus, IN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Columbus, IN?

In the Columbus, IN metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $43,780 a year ($21.05 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 210 of these jobs there. That is 10% below the $48,470 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,130 and $53,630; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Indiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $36,095 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Columbus, IN at a glance

Median salary

$43,780$21.05 per hour · $3,648 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,130$17.37/hr
25th percentile$38,190$18.36/hr
75th percentile$47,650$22.91/hr
90th percentile$53,630$25.79/hr
Jobs in this metro210Location quotient 0.83 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here10% belowAll-jobs median $48,470
Against Indiana4% belowStatewide median $45,650
Against the U.S.6% 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 Columbus, IN after taxes

$43,780
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$43,780
Net 82%
Fed 7%
IN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$36,095After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,008Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,388Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,074 / yr
Indiana state income tax$1,262 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,349 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Columbus, IN, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Columbus, IN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IN)
10th percentile$17.37/hr$3,011$36,130$30,174
25th percentile$18.36/hr$3,183$38,190$31,769
MedianMedian$21.05/hr$3,648$43,780$36,095
75th percentile$22.91/hr$3,971$47,650$39,091
90th percentile$25.79/hr$4,469$53,630$43,719

Is $43,780 a good salary in Columbus, IN?

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$79,901Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.07% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household54.8%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Columbus, IN: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Columbus, IN?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Columbus, IN metro area was $43,780 in May 2025, about $3,648 a month or $21.05 an hour. Statewide, the Indiana median for this job is $45,650, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Columbus, IN?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Columbus, IN was $21.05 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.37 an hour and one in ten earned more than $25.79.

How many forklift operators work in Columbus, IN?

BLS estimated 210 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 4.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.83 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Columbus, IN?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Columbus, IN run from $36,130 at the 10th percentile to $38,190 at the 25th, $47,650 at the 75th, and $53,630 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Columbus, IN?

On a median gross salary of $43,780, an estimated $36,095 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,388 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Indiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,685 (an effective rate of 17.6%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Columbus, IN?

On the median annual salary of $43,780, gross monthly income is $3,648. After federal, FICA, and Indiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,008 per month (or $1,388 every two weeks).

Is $43,780 a good salary in Columbus, IN?

At $43,780, the median salary for forklift operators is 54.8% of the Columbus, IN median household income ($79,901). It is 10% below the $48,470 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.0, so prices here run 7% below the U.S. average.