Fargo, ND-MN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Fargo, ND?

In the Fargo, ND-MN metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $45,840 a year ($22.04 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 400 of these jobs there. That is 10% below the $51,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $40,300 and $57,060; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Minnesota tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $37,379 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Fargo, ND at a glance

Median salary

$45,840$22.04 per hour · $3,820 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$40,300$19.38/hr
25th percentile$41,050$19.74/hr
75th percentile$50,200$24.14/hr
90th percentile$57,060$27.43/hr
Jobs in this metro400Location quotient 0.54 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here10% belowAll-jobs median $51,050
Against Minnesota8% belowStatewide median $49,740
Against the U.S.1% 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 Fargo, ND after taxes

$45,840
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,840
Net 82%
Fed 7%
MN 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$37,379After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,115Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,438Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,321 / yr
Minnesota state income tax$1,634 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,507 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Fargo, ND, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Fargo, ND-MN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MN)
10th percentile$19.38/hr$3,358$40,300$33,224
25th percentile$19.74/hr$3,421$41,050$33,786
MedianMedian$22.04/hr$3,820$45,840$37,379
75th percentile$24.14/hr$4,183$50,200$40,625
90th percentile$27.43/hr$4,755$57,060$45,671

Is $45,840 a good salary in Fargo, ND?

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$76,756Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)90.99.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household59.7%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Fargo, ND: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Fargo, ND-MN?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Fargo, ND-MN metro area was $45,840 in May 2025, about $3,820 a month or $22.04 an hour. Statewide, the Minnesota median for this job is $49,740, so the metro pays 8% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Fargo, ND-MN?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Fargo, ND-MN was $22.04 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $19.38 an hour and one in ten earned more than $27.43.

How many forklift operators work in Fargo, ND-MN?

BLS estimated 400 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 2.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.54 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Fargo, ND-MN?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Fargo, ND-MN run from $40,300 at the 10th percentile to $41,050 at the 25th, $50,200 at the 75th, and $57,060 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Fargo, ND-MN?

On a median gross salary of $45,840, an estimated $37,379 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,438 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Minnesota in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,461 (an effective rate of 18.5%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Fargo, ND-MN?

On the median annual salary of $45,840, gross monthly income is $3,820. After federal, FICA, and Minnesota state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,115 per month (or $1,438 every two weeks).

Is $45,840 a good salary in Fargo, ND-MN?

At $45,840, the median salary for forklift operators is 59.7% of the Fargo, ND-MN median household income ($76,756). It is 10% below the $51,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 90.9, so prices here run 9.1% below the U.S. average.