Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Olympia-Lacey, WA?

In the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $48,520 a year ($23.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 840 of these jobs there. That is 22% below the $61,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $41,880 and $63,330; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Washington tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $41,166 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Olympia-Lacey, WA at a glance

Median salary

$48,520$23.33 per hour · $4,043 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$41,880$20.14/hr
25th percentile$47,750$22.96/hr
75th percentile$55,730$26.79/hr
90th percentile$63,330$30.45/hr
Jobs in this metro840Location quotient 1.29 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here22% belowAll-jobs median $61,960
Against Washington3% belowStatewide median $49,910
Against the U.S.5% 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 Olympia-Lacey, WA after taxes

$48,520
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$48,520
Net 85%
Fed 8%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$41,166After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,430Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,583Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,642 / yr
Washington state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,712 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Olympia-Lacey, WA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WA)
10th percentile$20.14/hr$3,490$41,880$35,831
25th percentile$22.96/hr$3,979$47,750$40,547
MedianMedian$23.33/hr$4,043$48,520$41,166
75th percentile$26.79/hr$4,644$55,730$46,959
90th percentile$30.45/hr$5,278$63,330$53,066

Is $48,520 a good salary in Olympia-Lacey, WA?

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$96,563Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.73.7% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household50.2%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Olympia-Lacey, WA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area was $48,520 in May 2025, about $4,043 a month or $23.33 an hour. Statewide, the Washington median for this job is $49,910, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA was $23.33 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $20.14 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.45.

How many forklift operators work in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

BLS estimated 840 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 6.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.29 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA run from $41,880 at the 10th percentile to $47,750 at the 25th, $55,730 at the 75th, and $63,330 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

On a median gross salary of $48,520, an estimated $41,166 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,583 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Washington in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,354 (an effective rate of 15.2%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

On the median annual salary of $48,520, gross monthly income is $4,043. After federal, FICA, and Washington state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,430 per month (or $1,583 every two weeks).

Is $48,520 a good salary in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

At $48,520, the median salary for forklift operators is 50.2% of the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA median household income ($96,563). It is 22% below the $61,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.7, so prices here run 3.7% above the U.S. average.