Omaha, NE-IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Omaha, NE?

In the Omaha, NE-IA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $45,120 a year ($21.69 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,010 of these jobs there. That is 9% below the $49,660 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $37,270 and $57,730; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $37,371 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Omaha, NE at a glance

Median salary

$45,120$21.69 per hour · $3,760 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$37,270$17.92/hr
25th percentile$40,510$19.48/hr
75th percentile$48,780$23.45/hr
90th percentile$57,730$27.76/hr
Jobs in this metro2,010Location quotient 0.81 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here9% belowAll-jobs median $49,660
Against Iowa5% belowStatewide median $47,590
Against the U.S.3% 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 Omaha, NE after taxes

$45,120
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,120
Net 83%
Fed 7%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$37,371After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,114Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,437Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,234 / yr
Iowa state income tax$1,063 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,452 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Omaha, NE, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Omaha, NE-IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$17.92/hr$3,106$37,270$31,362
25th percentile$19.48/hr$3,376$40,510$33,842
MedianMedian$21.69/hr$3,760$45,120$37,371
75th percentile$23.45/hr$4,065$48,780$40,173
90th percentile$27.76/hr$4,811$57,730$47,024

Is $45,120 a good salary in Omaha, NE?

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$84,829Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.98.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household53.2%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Omaha, NE: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Omaha, NE-IA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Omaha, NE-IA metro area was $45,120 in May 2025, about $3,760 a month or $21.69 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $47,590, so the metro pays 5% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Omaha, NE-IA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Omaha, NE-IA was $21.69 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.92 an hour and one in ten earned more than $27.76.

How many forklift operators work in Omaha, NE-IA?

BLS estimated 2,010 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 4.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.81 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Omaha, NE-IA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Omaha, NE-IA run from $37,270 at the 10th percentile to $40,510 at the 25th, $48,780 at the 75th, and $57,730 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Omaha, NE-IA?

On a median gross salary of $45,120, an estimated $37,371 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,437 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,749 (an effective rate of 17.2%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Omaha, NE-IA?

On the median annual salary of $45,120, gross monthly income is $3,760. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,114 per month (or $1,437 every two weeks).

Is $45,120 a good salary in Omaha, NE-IA?

At $45,120, the median salary for forklift operators is 53.2% of the Omaha, NE-IA median household income ($84,829). It is 9% below the $49,660 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.9, so prices here run 8.1% below the U.S. average.