Gainesville, GA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Gainesville, GA?

In the Gainesville, GA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $39,980 a year ($19.22 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,330 of these jobs there. That is 13% below the $45,900 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,660 and $59,330; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Georgia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $33,057 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Gainesville, GA at a glance

Median salary

$39,980$19.22 per hour · $3,332 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,660$17.15/hr
25th percentile$35,910$17.26/hr
75th percentile$47,410$22.79/hr
90th percentile$59,330$28.53/hr
Jobs in this metro1,330Location quotient 2.58 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here13% belowAll-jobs median $45,900
Against Georgia7% belowStatewide median $43,210
Against the U.S.14% 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 Gainesville, GA after taxes

$39,980
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$39,980
Net 83%
Fed 7%
GA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$33,057After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,755Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,271Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,618 / yr
Georgia state income tax$1,247 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,058 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Gainesville, GA, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Gainesville, GA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (GA)
10th percentile$17.15/hr$2,972$35,660$29,802
25th percentile$17.26/hr$2,993$35,910$29,990
MedianMedian$19.22/hr$3,332$39,980$33,057
75th percentile$22.79/hr$3,951$47,410$38,657
90th percentile$28.53/hr$4,944$59,330$47,640

Is $39,980 a good salary in Gainesville, GA?

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$80,901Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)96.83.2% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household49.4%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Gainesville, GA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Gainesville, GA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Gainesville, GA metro area was $39,980 in May 2025, about $3,332 a month or $19.22 an hour. Statewide, the Georgia median for this job is $43,210, so the metro pays 7% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Gainesville, GA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Gainesville, GA was $19.22 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.15 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.53.

How many forklift operators work in Gainesville, GA?

BLS estimated 1,330 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 12.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 2.58 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Gainesville, GA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Gainesville, GA run from $35,660 at the 10th percentile to $35,910 at the 25th, $47,410 at the 75th, and $59,330 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Gainesville, GA?

On a median gross salary of $39,980, an estimated $33,057 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,271 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Georgia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,923 (an effective rate of 17.3%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Gainesville, GA?

On the median annual salary of $39,980, gross monthly income is $3,332. After federal, FICA, and Georgia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,755 per month (or $1,271 every two weeks).

Is $39,980 a good salary in Gainesville, GA?

At $39,980, the median salary for forklift operators is 49.4% of the Gainesville, GA median household income ($80,901). It is 13% below the $45,900 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 96.8, so prices here run 3.2% below the U.S. average.