Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

In the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $36,710 a year ($17.65 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 60 of these jobs there. That is 14% below the $42,920 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $32,210 and $46,700; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,720 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC at a glance

Median salary

$36,710$17.65 per hour · $3,059 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$32,210$15.49/hr
25th percentile$36,130$17.37/hr
75th percentile$39,900$19.19/hr
90th percentile$46,700$22.45/hr
Jobs in this metro60Location quotient 0.28 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here14% belowAll-jobs median $42,920
Against North Carolina15% belowStatewide median $43,420
Against the U.S.21% 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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC after taxes

$36,710
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,710
Net 84%
Fed 6%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,720After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,560Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,182Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,225 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$956 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,808 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$15.49/hr$2,684$32,210$27,284
25th percentile$17.37/hr$3,011$36,130$30,278
MedianMedian$17.65/hr$3,059$36,710$30,720
75th percentile$19.19/hr$3,325$39,900$33,156
90th percentile$22.45/hr$3,892$46,700$38,349

Is $36,710 a good salary in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

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$86,080Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.311.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household42.6%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metro area was $36,710 in May 2025, about $3,059 a month or $17.65 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $43,420, so the metro pays 15% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC was $17.65 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.49 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.45.

How many forklift operators work in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

BLS estimated 60 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 1.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.28 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC run from $32,210 at the 10th percentile to $36,130 at the 25th, $39,900 at the 75th, and $46,700 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

On a median gross salary of $36,710, an estimated $30,720 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,182 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,990 (an effective rate of 16.3%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

On the median annual salary of $36,710, gross monthly income is $3,059. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,560 per month (or $1,182 every two weeks).

Is $36,710 a good salary in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

At $36,710, the median salary for forklift operators is 42.6% of the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC median household income ($86,080). It is 14% below the $42,920 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.3, so prices here run 11.7% below the U.S. average.