Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Philadelphia-Camden, PA?

In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $49,260 a year ($23.68 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 15,670 of these jobs there. That is 9% below the $54,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $38,210 and $61,340; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Delaware tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $39,703 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Philadelphia-Camden, PA at a glance

Median salary

$49,260$23.68 per hour · $4,105 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$38,210$18.37/hr
25th percentile$44,450$21.37/hr
75th percentile$60,350$29.02/hr
90th percentile$61,340$29.49/hr
Jobs in this metro15,670Location quotient 1.09 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here9% belowAll-jobs median $54,310
Against Delaware18% belowStatewide median $60,350
Against the U.S.6% 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 Philadelphia-Camden, PA after taxes

$49,260
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$49,260
Net 81%
Fed 8%
DE 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$39,703After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,309Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,527Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,731 / yr
Delaware state income tax$2,057 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,768 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Philadelphia-Camden, PA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DE)
10th percentile$18.37/hr$3,184$38,210$31,438
25th percentile$21.37/hr$3,704$44,450$36,105
MedianMedian$23.68/hr$4,105$49,260$39,703
75th percentile$29.02/hr$5,029$60,350$47,999
90th percentile$29.49/hr$5,112$61,340$48,739

Is $49,260 a good salary in Philadelphia-Camden, PA?

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$91,289Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)102.62.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household54%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Philadelphia-Camden, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area was $49,260 in May 2025, about $4,105 a month or $23.68 an hour. Statewide, the Delaware median for this job is $60,350, so the metro pays 18% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD was $23.68 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.37 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.49.

How many forklift operators work in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

BLS estimated 15,670 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 5.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.09 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD run from $38,210 at the 10th percentile to $44,450 at the 25th, $60,350 at the 75th, and $61,340 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

On a median gross salary of $49,260, an estimated $39,703 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,527 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Delaware in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,557 (an effective rate of 19.4%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

On the median annual salary of $49,260, gross monthly income is $4,105. After federal, FICA, and Delaware state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,309 per month (or $1,527 every two weeks).

Is $49,260 a good salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

At $49,260, the median salary for forklift operators is 54% of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD median household income ($91,289). It is 9% below the $54,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 102.6, so prices here run 2.6% above the U.S. average.