Erie, PA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Erie, PA?

In the Erie, PA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $41,320 a year ($19.87 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 420 of these jobs there. That is 7% below the $44,460 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,270 and $54,320; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Pennsylvania tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $34,112 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Erie, PA at a glance

Median salary

$41,320$19.87 per hour · $3,443 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,270$15.03/hr
25th percentile$37,380$17.97/hr
75th percentile$45,880$22.06/hr
90th percentile$54,320$26.12/hr
Jobs in this metro420Location quotient 0.69 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here7% belowAll-jobs median $44,460
Against Pennsylvania13% belowStatewide median $47,730
Against the U.S.11% 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 Erie, PA after taxes

$41,320
$15,000$85,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$41,320
Net 83%
Fed 7%
PA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$34,112After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,843Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,312Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,778 / yr
Pennsylvania state income tax$1,269 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,161 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Erie, PA, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Erie, PA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (PA)
10th percentile$15.03/hr$2,606$31,270$26,345
25th percentile$17.97/hr$3,115$37,380$31,067
MedianMedian$19.87/hr$3,443$41,320$34,112
75th percentile$22.06/hr$3,823$45,880$37,636
90th percentile$26.12/hr$4,527$54,320$44,159

Is $41,320 a good salary in Erie, PA?

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$63,354Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.09% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household65.2%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Erie, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Erie, PA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Erie, PA metro area was $41,320 in May 2025, about $3,443 a month or $19.87 an hour. Statewide, the Pennsylvania median for this job is $47,730, so the metro pays 13% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Erie, PA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Erie, PA was $19.87 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.03 an hour and one in ten earned more than $26.12.

How many forklift operators work in Erie, PA?

BLS estimated 420 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.69 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Erie, PA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Erie, PA run from $31,270 at the 10th percentile to $37,380 at the 25th, $45,880 at the 75th, and $54,320 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Erie, PA?

On a median gross salary of $41,320, an estimated $34,112 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,312 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Pennsylvania in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,208 (an effective rate of 17.4%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Erie, PA?

On the median annual salary of $41,320, gross monthly income is $3,443. After federal, FICA, and Pennsylvania state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,843 per month (or $1,312 every two weeks).

Is $41,320 a good salary in Erie, PA?

At $41,320, the median salary for forklift operators is 65.2% of the Erie, PA median household income ($63,354). It is 7% below the $44,460 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.0, so prices here run 9% below the U.S. average.