Huntsville, AL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Huntsville, AL?

In the Huntsville, AL metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $45,200 a year ($21.73 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,290 of these jobs there. That is 13% below the $51,740 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,860 and $60,600; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Alabama tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $36,640 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Huntsville, AL at a glance

Median salary

$45,200$21.73 per hour · $3,767 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,860$17.24/hr
25th percentile$41,020$19.72/hr
75th percentile$51,530$24.77/hr
90th percentile$60,600$29.14/hr
Jobs in this metro1,290Location quotient 0.97 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here13% belowAll-jobs median $51,740
Against Alabama1% aboveStatewide median $44,880
Against the U.S.3% 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 Huntsville, AL after taxes

$45,200
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,200
Net 81%
Fed 7%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$36,640After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,053Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,409Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,244 / yr
Alabama state income tax$1,858 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,458 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Huntsville, AL, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Huntsville, AL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AL)
10th percentile$17.24/hr$2,988$35,860$29,547
25th percentile$19.72/hr$3,418$41,020$33,466
MedianMedian$21.73/hr$3,767$45,200$36,640
75th percentile$24.77/hr$4,294$51,530$41,448
90th percentile$29.14/hr$5,050$60,600$48,337

Is $45,200 a good salary in Huntsville, AL?

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$85,989Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.16.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household52.6%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Huntsville, AL: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Huntsville, AL?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Huntsville, AL metro area was $45,200 in May 2025, about $3,767 a month or $21.73 an hour. Statewide, the Alabama median for this job is $44,880, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Huntsville, AL?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Huntsville, AL was $21.73 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.24 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.14.

How many forklift operators work in Huntsville, AL?

BLS estimated 1,290 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 4.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.97 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Huntsville, AL?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Huntsville, AL run from $35,860 at the 10th percentile to $41,020 at the 25th, $51,530 at the 75th, and $60,600 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Huntsville, AL?

On a median gross salary of $45,200, an estimated $36,640 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,409 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Alabama in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,560 (an effective rate of 18.9%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Huntsville, AL?

On the median annual salary of $45,200, gross monthly income is $3,767. After federal, FICA, and Alabama state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,053 per month (or $1,409 every two weeks).

Is $45,200 a good salary in Huntsville, AL?

At $45,200, the median salary for forklift operators is 52.6% of the Huntsville, AL median household income ($85,989). It is 13% below the $51,740 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.1, so prices here run 6.9% below the U.S. average.