Portland-South Portland, ME metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Portland-South Portland, ME?

In the Portland-South Portland, ME metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $50,310 a year ($24.19 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,390 of these jobs there. That is 12% below the $56,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $44,180 and $64,490; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Maine tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $40,886 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Portland-South Portland, ME at a glance

Median salary

$50,310$24.19 per hour · $4,193 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$44,180$21.24/hr
25th percentile$45,910$22.07/hr
75th percentile$63,400$30.48/hr
90th percentile$64,490$31.01/hr
Jobs in this metro1,390Location quotient 0.97 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here12% belowAll-jobs median $56,960
Against Maine5% aboveStatewide median $47,730
Against the U.S.8% 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 Portland-South Portland, ME after taxes

$50,310
$20,000$105,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$50,310
Net 81%
Fed 8%
ME 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$40,886After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,407Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,573Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,857 / yr
Maine state income tax$1,718 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,849 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Portland-South Portland, ME, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Portland-South Portland, ME metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (ME)
10th percentile$21.24/hr$3,682$44,180$36,334
25th percentile$22.07/hr$3,826$45,910$37,624
MedianMedian$24.19/hr$4,193$50,310$40,886
75th percentile$30.48/hr$5,283$63,400$50,520
90th percentile$31.01/hr$5,374$64,490$51,322

Is $50,310 a good salary in Portland-South Portland, ME?

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$92,175Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)101.91.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household54.6%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Portland-South Portland, ME: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Portland-South Portland, ME?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area was $50,310 in May 2025, about $4,193 a month or $24.19 an hour. Statewide, the Maine median for this job is $47,730, so the metro pays 5% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Portland-South Portland, ME?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Portland-South Portland, ME was $24.19 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $21.24 an hour and one in ten earned more than $31.01.

How many forklift operators work in Portland-South Portland, ME?

BLS estimated 1,390 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 4.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.97 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Portland-South Portland, ME?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Portland-South Portland, ME run from $44,180 at the 10th percentile to $45,910 at the 25th, $63,400 at the 75th, and $64,490 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Portland-South Portland, ME?

On a median gross salary of $50,310, an estimated $40,886 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,573 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Maine in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,424 (an effective rate of 18.7%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Portland-South Portland, ME?

On the median annual salary of $50,310, gross monthly income is $4,193. After federal, FICA, and Maine state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,407 per month (or $1,573 every two weeks).

Is $50,310 a good salary in Portland-South Portland, ME?

At $50,310, the median salary for forklift operators is 54.6% of the Portland-South Portland, ME median household income ($92,175). It is 12% below the $56,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 101.9, so prices here run 1.9% above the U.S. average.