Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL?

In the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $47,810 a year ($22.99 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 9,290 of these jobs there. That is 2% below the $48,640 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $37,240 and $73,300; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Florida tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $40,595 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL at a glance

Median salary

$47,810$22.99 per hour · $3,984 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$37,240$17.91/hr
25th percentile$40,190$19.32/hr
75th percentile$60,150$28.92/hr
90th percentile$73,300$35.24/hr
Jobs in this metro9,290Location quotient 0.66 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here2% belowAll-jobs median $48,640
Against Florida1% belowStatewide median $48,370
Against the U.S.3% 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL after taxes

$47,810
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$47,810
Net 85%
Fed 7%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$40,595After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,383Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,561Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,557 / yr
Florida state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,657 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (FL)
10th percentile$17.91/hr$3,103$37,240$32,102
25th percentile$19.32/hr$3,349$40,190$34,473
MedianMedian$22.99/hr$3,984$47,810$40,595
75th percentile$28.92/hr$5,013$60,150$50,511
90th percentile$35.24/hr$6,108$73,300$60,397

Is $47,810 a good salary in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL?

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$76,527Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)114.214.2% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household62.5%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area was $47,810 in May 2025, about $3,984 a month or $22.99 an hour. Statewide, the Florida median for this job is $48,370, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL was $22.99 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.91 an hour and one in ten earned more than $35.24.

How many forklift operators work in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?

BLS estimated 9,290 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.66 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL run from $37,240 at the 10th percentile to $40,190 at the 25th, $60,150 at the 75th, and $73,300 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?

On a median gross salary of $47,810, an estimated $40,595 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,561 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Florida in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,215 (an effective rate of 15.1%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?

On the median annual salary of $47,810, gross monthly income is $3,984. After federal, FICA, and Florida state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,383 per month (or $1,561 every two weeks).

Is $47,810 a good salary in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?

At $47,810, the median salary for forklift operators is 62.5% of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL median household income ($76,527). It is 2% below the $48,640 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 114.2, so prices here run 14.2% above the U.S. average.