Las Cruces, NM metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Las Cruces, NM?

In the Las Cruces, NM metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $35,900 a year ($17.26 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 220 of these jobs there. That is 15% below the $42,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $32,800 and $48,570; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New Mexico tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,439 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Las Cruces, NM at a glance

Median salary

$35,900$17.26 per hour · $2,992 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$32,800$15.77/hr
25th percentile$32,800$15.77/hr
75th percentile$45,190$21.73/hr
90th percentile$48,570$23.35/hr
Jobs in this metro220Location quotient 0.56 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here15% belowAll-jobs median $42,070
Against New Mexico42% belowStatewide median $62,150
Against the U.S.23% 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 Las Cruces, NM after taxes

$35,900
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,900
Net 85%
Fed 6%
NM 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,439After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,537Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,171Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,128 / yr
New Mexico state income tax$587 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,746 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Las Cruces, NM, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Las Cruces, NM metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NM)
10th percentile$15.77/hr$2,733$32,800$28,101
25th percentile$15.77/hr$2,733$32,800$28,101
MedianMedian$17.26/hr$2,992$35,900$30,439
75th percentile$21.73/hr$3,766$45,190$37,499
90th percentile$23.35/hr$4,048$48,570$40,070

Is $35,900 a good salary in Las Cruces, NM?

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$56,848Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)90.29.8% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household63.2%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Las Cruces, NM: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Las Cruces, NM?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Las Cruces, NM metro area was $35,900 in May 2025, about $2,992 a month or $17.26 an hour. Statewide, the New Mexico median for this job is $62,150, so the metro pays 42% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Las Cruces, NM?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Las Cruces, NM was $17.26 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.77 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.35.

How many forklift operators work in Las Cruces, NM?

BLS estimated 220 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 2.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.56 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Las Cruces, NM?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Las Cruces, NM run from $32,800 at the 10th percentile to $32,800 at the 25th, $45,190 at the 75th, and $48,570 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Las Cruces, NM?

On a median gross salary of $35,900, an estimated $30,439 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,171 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New Mexico in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,461 (an effective rate of 15.2%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Las Cruces, NM?

On the median annual salary of $35,900, gross monthly income is $2,992. After federal, FICA, and New Mexico state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,537 per month (or $1,171 every two weeks).

Is $35,900 a good salary in Las Cruces, NM?

At $35,900, the median salary for forklift operators is 63.2% of the Las Cruces, NM median household income ($56,848). It is 15% below the $42,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 90.2, so prices here run 9.8% below the U.S. average.