New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in New York-Newark, NY?

In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $46,930 a year ($22.56 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 24,720 of these jobs there. That is 24% below the $61,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $37,190 and $75,980; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New Jersey tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,843 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in New York-Newark, NY at a glance

Median salary

$46,930$22.56 per hour · $3,911 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$37,190$17.88/hr
25th percentile$42,730$20.54/hr
75th percentile$60,160$28.92/hr
90th percentile$75,980$36.53/hr
Jobs in this metro24,720Location quotient 0.52 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here24% belowAll-jobs median $61,430
Against New Jersey2% aboveStatewide median $46,100
Against the U.S.1% 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 New York-Newark, NY after taxes

$46,930
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$46,930
Net 83%
Fed 7%
NJ 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,843After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,237Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,494Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,452 / yr
New Jersey state income tax$1,045 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,590 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in New York-Newark, NY, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NJ)
10th percentile$17.88/hr$3,099$37,190$31,478
25th percentile$20.54/hr$3,561$42,730$35,700
MedianMedian$22.56/hr$3,911$46,930$38,843
75th percentile$28.92/hr$5,013$60,160$48,742
90th percentile$36.53/hr$6,332$75,980$59,632

Is $46,930 a good salary in New York-Newark, NY?

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$99,155Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)112.612.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household47.3%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in New York-Newark, NY: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area was $46,930 in May 2025, about $3,911 a month or $22.56 an hour. Statewide, the New Jersey median for this job is $46,100, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ was $22.56 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.88 an hour and one in ten earned more than $36.53.

How many forklift operators work in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?

BLS estimated 24,720 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 2.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.52 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ run from $37,190 at the 10th percentile to $42,730 at the 25th, $60,160 at the 75th, and $75,980 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?

On a median gross salary of $46,930, an estimated $38,843 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,494 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New Jersey in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,087 (an effective rate of 17.2%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?

On the median annual salary of $46,930, gross monthly income is $3,911. After federal, FICA, and New Jersey state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,237 per month (or $1,494 every two weeks).

Is $46,930 a good salary in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?

At $46,930, the median salary for forklift operators is 47.3% of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ median household income ($99,155). It is 24% below the $61,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 112.6, so prices here run 12.6% above the U.S. average.