Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

In the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $45,950 a year ($22.09 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 5,150 of these jobs there. That is 7% below the $49,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $38,220 and $62,640; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Pennsylvania tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $37,690 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA at a glance

Median salary

$45,950$22.09 per hour · $3,829 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$38,220$18.37/hr
25th percentile$39,610$19.05/hr
75th percentile$53,630$25.78/hr
90th percentile$62,640$30.11/hr
Jobs in this metro5,150Location quotient 3.09 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here7% belowAll-jobs median $49,610
Against Pennsylvania4% belowStatewide median $47,730
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 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA after taxes

$45,950
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,950
Net 82%
Fed 7%
PA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$37,690After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,141Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,450Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,334 / yr
Pennsylvania state income tax$1,411 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,515 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (PA)
10th percentile$18.37/hr$3,185$38,220$31,716
25th percentile$19.05/hr$3,301$39,610$32,791
MedianMedian$22.09/hr$3,829$45,950$37,690
75th percentile$25.78/hr$4,469$53,630$43,625
90th percentile$30.11/hr$5,220$62,640$50,588

Is $45,950 a good salary in Harrisburg-Carlisle, 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$80,919Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.71.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household56.8%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area was $45,950 in May 2025, about $3,829 a month or $22.09 an hour. Statewide, the Pennsylvania median for this job is $47,730, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA was $22.09 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.37 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.11.

How many forklift operators work in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

BLS estimated 5,150 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 15.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 3.09 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA run from $38,220 at the 10th percentile to $39,610 at the 25th, $53,630 at the 75th, and $62,640 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

On a median gross salary of $45,950, an estimated $37,690 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,450 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Pennsylvania in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,260 (an effective rate of 18%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

On the median annual salary of $45,950, gross monthly income is $3,829. After federal, FICA, and Pennsylvania state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,141 per month (or $1,450 every two weeks).

Is $45,950 a good salary in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

At $45,950, the median salary for forklift operators is 56.8% of the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA median household income ($80,919). It is 7% below the $49,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.7, so prices here run 1.3% below the U.S. average.