Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Kingsport-Bristol, TN?

In the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $40,720 a year ($19.58 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 590 of these jobs there. That is 10% below the $45,240 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,350 and $51,770; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Tennessee tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $34,899 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Kingsport-Bristol, TN at a glance

Median salary

$40,720$19.58 per hour · $3,393 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,350$16.99/hr
25th percentile$36,270$17.44/hr
75th percentile$45,830$22.03/hr
90th percentile$51,770$24.89/hr
Jobs in this metro590Location quotient 1.00 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here10% belowAll-jobs median $45,240
Against Tennessee3% belowStatewide median $42,100
Against the U.S.12% 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 Kingsport-Bristol, TN after taxes

$40,720
$15,000$85,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$40,720
Net 86%
Fed 7%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$34,899After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,908Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,342Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,706 / yr
Tennessee state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,115 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Kingsport-Bristol, TN, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TN)
10th percentile$16.99/hr$2,946$35,350$30,584
25th percentile$17.44/hr$3,023$36,270$31,323
MedianMedian$19.58/hr$3,393$40,720$34,899
75th percentile$22.03/hr$3,819$45,830$39,004
90th percentile$24.89/hr$4,314$51,770$43,777

Is $40,720 a good salary in Kingsport-Bristol, TN?

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$57,792Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)86.413.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household70.5%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Kingsport-Bristol, TN: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area was $40,720 in May 2025, about $3,393 a month or $19.58 an hour. Statewide, the Tennessee median for this job is $42,100, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA was $19.58 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.99 an hour and one in ten earned more than $24.89.

How many forklift operators work in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

BLS estimated 590 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 5.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.00 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA run from $35,350 at the 10th percentile to $36,270 at the 25th, $45,830 at the 75th, and $51,770 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

On a median gross salary of $40,720, an estimated $34,899 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,342 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Tennessee in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,821 (an effective rate of 14.3%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

On the median annual salary of $40,720, gross monthly income is $3,393. After federal, FICA, and Tennessee state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,908 per month (or $1,342 every two weeks).

Is $40,720 a good salary in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

At $40,720, the median salary for forklift operators is 70.5% of the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA median household income ($57,792). It is 10% below the $45,240 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 86.4, so prices here run 13.6% below the U.S. average.