Elmira, NY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Elmira, NY?

In the Elmira, NY metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $41,820 a year ($20.11 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 90 of these jobs there. That is 13% below the $47,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $37,120 and $56,310; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New York tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $34,121 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Elmira, NY at a glance

Median salary

$41,820$20.11 per hour · $3,485 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$37,120$17.85/hr
25th percentile$37,120$17.85/hr
75th percentile$47,290$22.74/hr
90th percentile$56,310$27.07/hr
Jobs in this metro90Location quotient 0.56 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here13% belowAll-jobs median $47,850
Against New York15% belowStatewide median $49,030
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 Elmira, NY after taxes

$41,820
$15,000$85,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$41,820
Net 82%
Fed 7%
NY 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$34,121After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,843Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,312Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,838 / yr
New York state income tax$1,662 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,199 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Elmira, NY, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Elmira, NY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NY)
10th percentile$17.85/hr$3,093$37,120$30,598
25th percentile$17.85/hr$3,093$37,120$30,598
MedianMedian$20.11/hr$3,485$41,820$34,121
75th percentile$22.74/hr$3,941$47,290$38,220
90th percentile$27.07/hr$4,693$56,310$44,981

Is $41,820 a good salary in Elmira, NY?

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$63,716Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)94.45.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household65.6%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Elmira, NY: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Elmira, NY?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Elmira, NY metro area was $41,820 in May 2025, about $3,485 a month or $20.11 an hour. Statewide, the New York median for this job is $49,030, so the metro pays 15% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Elmira, NY?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Elmira, NY was $20.11 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.85 an hour and one in ten earned more than $27.07.

How many forklift operators work in Elmira, NY?

BLS estimated 90 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 2.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.56 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Elmira, NY?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Elmira, NY run from $37,120 at the 10th percentile to $37,120 at the 25th, $47,290 at the 75th, and $56,310 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Elmira, NY?

On a median gross salary of $41,820, an estimated $34,121 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,312 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New York in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,699 (an effective rate of 18.4%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Elmira, NY?

On the median annual salary of $41,820, gross monthly income is $3,485. After federal, FICA, and New York state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,843 per month (or $1,312 every two weeks).

Is $41,820 a good salary in Elmira, NY?

At $41,820, the median salary for forklift operators is 65.6% of the Elmira, NY median household income ($63,716). It is 13% below the $47,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 94.4, so prices here run 5.6% below the U.S. average.