Joplin, MO-KS metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Joplin, MO?

In the Joplin, MO-KS 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 780 of these jobs there. That is 2% above the $44,980 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,870 and $59,440; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kansas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $37,366 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Joplin, MO at a glance

Median salary

$45,990$22.11 per hour · $3,833 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,870$17.73/hr
25th percentile$40,150$19.31/hr
75th percentile$51,230$24.63/hr
90th percentile$59,440$28.58/hr
Jobs in this metro780Location quotient 1.79 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here2% aboveAll-jobs median $44,980
Against Kansas3% belowStatewide median $47,430
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 Joplin, MO after taxes

$45,990
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,990
Net 81%
Fed 7%
KS 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$37,366After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,114Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,437Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,339 / yr
Kansas state income tax$1,767 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,518 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Joplin, MO, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Joplin, MO-KS metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KS)
10th percentile$17.73/hr$3,073$36,870$30,547
25th percentile$19.31/hr$3,346$40,150$33,000
MedianMedian$22.11/hr$3,833$45,990$37,366
75th percentile$24.63/hr$4,269$51,230$41,284
90th percentile$28.58/hr$4,953$59,440$47,423

Is $45,990 a good salary in Joplin, MO?

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$61,901Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)85.714.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household74.3%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Joplin, MO: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Joplin, MO-KS?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Joplin, MO-KS metro area was $45,990 in May 2025, about $3,833 a month or $22.11 an hour. Statewide, the Kansas median for this job is $47,430, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Joplin, MO-KS?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Joplin, MO-KS was $22.11 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.73 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.58.

How many forklift operators work in Joplin, MO-KS?

BLS estimated 780 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 8.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.79 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Joplin, MO-KS?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Joplin, MO-KS run from $36,870 at the 10th percentile to $40,150 at the 25th, $51,230 at the 75th, and $59,440 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Joplin, MO-KS?

On a median gross salary of $45,990, an estimated $37,366 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,437 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kansas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,624 (an effective rate of 18.8%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Joplin, MO-KS?

On the median annual salary of $45,990, gross monthly income is $3,833. After federal, FICA, and Kansas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,114 per month (or $1,437 every two weeks).

Is $45,990 a good salary in Joplin, MO-KS?

At $45,990, the median salary for forklift operators is 74.3% of the Joplin, MO-KS median household income ($61,901). It is 2% above the $44,980 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 85.7, so prices here run 14.3% below the U.S. average.