Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

In the Lexington-Fayette, KY metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $47,490 a year ($22.83 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,150 of these jobs there. That is 2% below the $48,620 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,880 and $74,510; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kentucky tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,794 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Lexington-Fayette, KY at a glance

Median salary

$47,490$22.83 per hour · $3,958 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,880$17.73/hr
25th percentile$39,380$18.94/hr
75th percentile$62,470$30.04/hr
90th percentile$74,510$35.82/hr
Jobs in this metro1,150Location quotient 0.81 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here2% belowAll-jobs median $48,620
Against Kentucky2% aboveStatewide median $46,630
Against the U.S.2% aboveNational 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 Lexington-Fayette, KY after taxes

$47,490
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$47,490
Net 82%
Fed 7%
KY 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,794After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,233Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,492Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,519 / yr
Kentucky state income tax$1,545 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,633 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Lexington-Fayette, KY, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KY)
10th percentile$17.73/hr$3,073$36,880$30,640
25th percentile$18.94/hr$3,282$39,380$32,561
MedianMedian$22.83/hr$3,958$47,490$38,794
75th percentile$30.04/hr$5,206$62,470$50,306
90th percentile$35.82/hr$6,209$74,510$58,758

Is $47,490 a good salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

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$71,966Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.97.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household66%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Lexington-Fayette, KY: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area was $47,490 in May 2025, about $3,958 a month or $22.83 an hour. Statewide, the Kentucky median for this job is $46,630, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Lexington-Fayette, KY was $22.83 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.73 an hour and one in ten earned more than $35.82.

How many forklift operators work in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

BLS estimated 1,150 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 4.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.81 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Lexington-Fayette, KY run from $36,880 at the 10th percentile to $39,380 at the 25th, $62,470 at the 75th, and $74,510 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

On a median gross salary of $47,490, an estimated $38,794 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,492 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kentucky in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,696 (an effective rate of 18.3%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

On the median annual salary of $47,490, gross monthly income is $3,958. After federal, FICA, and Kentucky state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,233 per month (or $1,492 every two weeks).

Is $47,490 a good salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

At $47,490, the median salary for forklift operators is 66% of the Lexington-Fayette, KY median household income ($71,966). It is 2% below the $48,620 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.9, so prices here run 7.1% below the U.S. average.