Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Houston-Pasadena, TX?

In the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $45,990 a year ($22.11 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 20,910 of these jobs there. That is 7% below the $49,410 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,780 and $58,540; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $39,133 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Houston-Pasadena, TX at a glance

Median salary

$45,990$22.11 per hour · $3,833 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,780$16.72/hr
25th percentile$37,570$18.06/hr
75th percentile$49,690$23.89/hr
90th percentile$58,540$28.15/hr
Jobs in this metro20,910Location quotient 1.28 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here7% belowAll-jobs median $49,410
Against Texas1% aboveStatewide median $45,450
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 Houston-Pasadena, TX after taxes

$45,990
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,990
Net 85%
Fed 7%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$39,133After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,261Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,505Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,339 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,518 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Houston-Pasadena, TX, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$16.72/hr$2,898$34,780$30,126
25th percentile$18.06/hr$3,131$37,570$32,368
MedianMedian$22.11/hr$3,833$45,990$39,133
75th percentile$23.89/hr$4,141$49,690$42,106
90th percentile$28.15/hr$4,878$58,540$49,217

Is $45,990 a good salary in Houston-Pasadena, TX?

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$82,168Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.61.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household56%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Houston-Pasadena, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area was $45,990 in May 2025, about $3,833 a month or $22.11 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $45,450, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX was $22.11 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.72 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.15.

How many forklift operators work in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

BLS estimated 20,910 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 6.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.28 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX run from $34,780 at the 10th percentile to $37,570 at the 25th, $49,690 at the 75th, and $58,540 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

On a median gross salary of $45,990, an estimated $39,133 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,505 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,857 (an effective rate of 14.9%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

On the median annual salary of $45,990, gross monthly income is $3,833. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,261 per month (or $1,505 every two weeks).

Is $45,990 a good salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

At $45,990, the median salary for forklift operators is 56% of the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX median household income ($82,168). It is 7% below the $49,410 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.6, so prices here run 1.4% below the U.S. average.