Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Huntington-Ashland, WV?

In the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $42,740 a year ($20.55 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 260 of these jobs there. That is 4% below the $44,600 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $32,470 and $54,920; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kentucky tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $35,143 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Huntington-Ashland, WV at a glance

Median salary

$42,740$20.55 per hour · $3,562 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$32,470$15.61/hr
25th percentile$36,720$17.66/hr
75th percentile$48,610$23.37/hr
90th percentile$54,920$26.40/hr
Jobs in this metro260Location quotient 0.37 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here4% belowAll-jobs median $44,600
Against Kentucky8% belowStatewide median $46,630
Against the U.S.8% 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 Huntington-Ashland, WV after taxes

$42,740
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$42,740
Net 82%
Fed 7%
KY 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$35,143After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,929Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,352Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,949 / yr
Kentucky state income tax$1,378 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,270 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Huntington-Ashland, WV, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KY)
10th percentile$15.61/hr$2,706$32,470$27,251
25th percentile$17.66/hr$3,060$36,720$30,517
MedianMedian$20.55/hr$3,562$42,740$35,143
75th percentile$23.37/hr$4,051$48,610$39,654
90th percentile$26.40/hr$4,577$54,920$44,504

Is $42,740 a good salary in Huntington-Ashland, WV?

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$60,078Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.411.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household71.1%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Huntington-Ashland, WV: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area was $42,740 in May 2025, about $3,562 a month or $20.55 an hour. Statewide, the Kentucky median for this job is $46,630, so the metro pays 8% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH was $20.55 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.61 an hour and one in ten earned more than $26.40.

How many forklift operators work in Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH?

BLS estimated 260 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 1.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.37 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH run from $32,470 at the 10th percentile to $36,720 at the 25th, $48,610 at the 75th, and $54,920 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH?

On a median gross salary of $42,740, an estimated $35,143 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,352 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kentucky in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,597 (an effective rate of 17.8%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH?

On the median annual salary of $42,740, gross monthly income is $3,562. After federal, FICA, and Kentucky state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,929 per month (or $1,352 every two weeks).

Is $42,740 a good salary in Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH?

At $42,740, the median salary for forklift operators is 71.1% of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH median household income ($60,078). It is 4% below the $44,600 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.4, so prices here run 11.6% below the U.S. average.