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Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Fort Smith, AR?

In the Fort Smith, AR-OK metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $39,480 a year ($18.98 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 810 of these jobs there. That is about the same as the $39,560 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $33,890 and $48,290; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Arkansas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,908 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Fort Smith, AR at a glance

Median salary

$39,480$18.98 per hour · $3,290 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$33,890$16.30/hr
25th percentile$36,780$17.68/hr
75th percentile$44,330$21.31/hr
90th percentile$48,290$23.22/hr
Jobs in this metro810Location quotient 1.70 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs hereabout the same asAll-jobs median $39,560
Against Arkansas10% belowStatewide median $43,780
Against the U.S.15% belowNational median $46,420

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Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Take-home payWhat $39,000 a year leaves after tax in ArkansasFederal tax, FICA and Arkansas withholding on that salary, with the other 49 states beside it.
By the hour$19 an hour is how much a yearWeekly, biweekly and monthly gross at 2,080 hours, plus time and a half.
HousingWhat a $39,000 salary buys at today's ratesPrice range, down payment and the monthly payment behind it, on current mortgage rates.
Local pricesWhat $39,000 is worth where you liveRent, groceries and the local price level against the national average.
Same stateEvery occupation Arkansas publishes a wage forThe biggest employers, the best paid, and what is distinctive about Arkansas.

Forklift operator salary in Fort Smith, AR after taxes

$39,480
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$39,480
Net 83%
Fed 6%
AR 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,908After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,742Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,266Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,558 / yr
Arkansas state income tax$994 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,020 / yr
Customize deductions in full Arkansas calculator

Forklift operators pay range in Fort Smith, AR, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Fort Smith, AR-OK metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AR)
10th percentile$16.30/hr$2,824$33,890$28,634
25th percentile$17.68/hr$3,065$36,780$30,844
MedianMedian$18.98/hr$3,290$39,480$32,908
75th percentile$21.31/hr$3,694$44,330$36,616
90th percentile$23.22/hr$4,024$48,290$39,643

Is $39,480 a good salary in Fort Smith, AR?

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$58,468Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)85.914.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household67.5%of area median income

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

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Forklift operators pay in other Arkansas metros

Metros in the same state that are closest in size to Fort Smith, AR. A statewide average can hide differences this large.

Forklift operator pay in Fort Smith, AR: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area was $39,480 in May 2025, about $3,290 a month or $18.98 an hour. Statewide, the Arkansas median for this job is $43,780, so the metro pays 10% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Fort Smith, AR-OK was $18.98 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.30 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.22.

How many forklift operators work in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

BLS estimated 810 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 8.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.70 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Fort Smith, AR-OK run from $33,890 at the 10th percentile to $36,780 at the 25th, $44,330 at the 75th, and $48,290 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

On a median gross salary of $39,480, an estimated $32,908 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,266 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Arkansas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,572 (an effective rate of 16.6%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

On the median annual salary of $39,480, gross monthly income is $3,290. After federal, FICA, and Arkansas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,742 per month (or $1,266 every two weeks).

Is $39,480 a good salary in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

At $39,480, the median salary for forklift operators is 67.5% of the Fort Smith, AR-OK median household income ($58,468). It is about the same as the $39,560 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 85.9, so prices here run 14.1% below the U.S. average.