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New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

In the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $47,530 a year ($22.85 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,090 of these jobs there. That is 1% above the $47,290 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,070 and $63,740; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Louisiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $39,331 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in New Orleans-Metairie, LA at a glance

Median salary

$47,530$22.85 per hour · $3,961 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,070$17.34/hr
25th percentile$39,730$19.10/hr
75th percentile$54,480$26.19/hr
90th percentile$63,740$30.65/hr
Jobs in this metro1,090Location quotient 0.49 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here1% aboveAll-jobs median $47,290
Against Louisiana3% belowStatewide median $48,950
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.

Take-home payWhat $48,000 a year leaves after tax in LouisianaFederal tax, FICA and Louisiana withholding on that salary, with the other 49 states beside it.
By the hour$23 an hour is how much a yearWeekly, biweekly and monthly gross at 2,080 hours, plus time and a half.
HousingWhat a $48,000 salary buys at today's ratesPrice range, down payment and the monthly payment behind it, on current mortgage rates.
Local pricesWhat $48,000 is worth where you liveRent, groceries and the local price level against the national average.
Same stateEvery occupation Louisiana publishes a wage forThe biggest employers, the best paid, and what is distinctive about Louisiana.

Forklift operator salary in New Orleans-Metairie, LA after taxes

$47,530
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$47,530
Net 83%
Fed 7%
LA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$39,331After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,278Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,513Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,524 / yr
Louisiana state income tax$1,040 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,636 / yr
Customize deductions in full Louisiana calculator

Forklift operators pay range in New Orleans-Metairie, LA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (LA)
10th percentile$17.34/hr$3,006$36,070$30,466
25th percentile$19.10/hr$3,311$39,730$33,297
MedianMedian$22.85/hr$3,961$47,530$39,331
75th percentile$26.19/hr$4,540$54,480$44,707
90th percentile$30.65/hr$5,312$63,740$51,869

Is $47,530 a good salary in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

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$62,655Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.67.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household75.9%of area median income

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

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Forklift operators pay in other Louisiana metros

Metros in the same state that are closest in size to New Orleans-Metairie, LA. A statewide average can hide differences this large.

Forklift operator pay in New Orleans-Metairie, LA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area was $47,530 in May 2025, about $3,961 a month or $22.85 an hour. Statewide, the Louisiana median for this job is $48,950, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in New Orleans-Metairie, LA was $22.85 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.34 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.65.

How many forklift operators work in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

BLS estimated 1,090 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 2.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.49 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in New Orleans-Metairie, LA run from $36,070 at the 10th percentile to $39,730 at the 25th, $54,480 at the 75th, and $63,740 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

On a median gross salary of $47,530, an estimated $39,331 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,513 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Louisiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,199 (an effective rate of 17.3%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

On the median annual salary of $47,530, gross monthly income is $3,961. After federal, FICA, and Louisiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,278 per month (or $1,513 every two weeks).

Is $47,530 a good salary in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?

At $47,530, the median salary for forklift operators is 75.9% of the New Orleans-Metairie, LA median household income ($62,655). It is 1% above the $47,290 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.6, so prices here run 7.4% below the U.S. average.