Manhattan, KS metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Manhattan, KS?

In the Manhattan, KS metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $37,450 a year ($18.00 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 190 of these jobs there. That is 18% below the $45,900 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $37,450 and $47,430; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kansas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,981 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Manhattan, KS at a glance

Median salary

$37,450$18.00 per hour · $3,121 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$37,450$18.00/hr
25th percentile$37,450$18.00/hr
75th percentile$45,120$21.69/hr
90th percentile$47,430$22.80/hr
Jobs in this metro190Location quotient 0.70 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here18% belowAll-jobs median $45,900
Against Kansas21% belowStatewide median $47,430
Against the U.S.19% 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 Manhattan, KS after taxes

$37,450
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,450
Net 83%
Fed 6%
KS 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,981After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,582Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,192Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,314 / yr
Kansas state income tax$1,290 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,865 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Manhattan, KS, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Manhattan, KS metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KS)
10th percentile$18.00/hr$3,121$37,450$30,981
25th percentile$18.00/hr$3,121$37,450$30,981
MedianMedian$18.00/hr$3,121$37,450$30,981
75th percentile$21.69/hr$3,760$45,120$36,716
90th percentile$22.80/hr$3,953$47,430$38,443

Is $37,450 a good salary in Manhattan, KS?

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$65,469Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)90.29.8% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household57.2%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Manhattan, KS: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Manhattan, KS?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Manhattan, KS metro area was $37,450 in May 2025, about $3,121 a month or $18.00 an hour. Statewide, the Kansas median for this job is $47,430, so the metro pays 21% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Manhattan, KS?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Manhattan, KS was $18.00 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.80.

How many forklift operators work in Manhattan, KS?

BLS estimated 190 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.70 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Manhattan, KS?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Manhattan, KS run from $37,450 at the 10th percentile to $37,450 at the 25th, $45,120 at the 75th, and $47,430 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Manhattan, KS?

On a median gross salary of $37,450, an estimated $30,981 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,192 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kansas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,469 (an effective rate of 17.3%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Manhattan, KS?

On the median annual salary of $37,450, gross monthly income is $3,121. After federal, FICA, and Kansas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,582 per month (or $1,192 every two weeks).

Is $37,450 a good salary in Manhattan, KS?

At $37,450, the median salary for forklift operators is 57.2% of the Manhattan, KS median household income ($65,469). It is 18% below the $45,900 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.