Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Portland-Vancouver, OR?

In the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $52,120 a year ($25.06 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 4,220 of these jobs there. That is 14% below the $60,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $42,570 and $63,900; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Oregon tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $40,668 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Portland-Vancouver, OR at a glance

Median salary

$52,120$25.06 per hour · $4,343 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$42,570$20.46/hr
25th percentile$47,660$22.91/hr
75th percentile$62,220$29.91/hr
90th percentile$63,900$30.72/hr
Jobs in this metro4,220Location quotient 0.70 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here14% belowAll-jobs median $60,690
Against Oregon3% aboveStatewide median $50,760
Against the U.S.12% 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-Vancouver, OR after taxes

$52,120
$20,000$105,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$52,120
Net 78%
Fed 8%
OR 7%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$40,668After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,389Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,564Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate22%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,074 / yr
Oregon state income tax$3,390 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,987 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Portland-Vancouver, OR, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (OR)
10th percentile$20.46/hr$3,548$42,570$33,730
25th percentile$22.91/hr$3,972$47,660$37,428
MedianMedian$25.06/hr$4,343$52,120$40,668
75th percentile$29.91/hr$5,185$62,220$48,006
90th percentile$30.72/hr$5,325$63,900$49,227

Is $52,120 a good salary in Portland-Vancouver, OR?

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$97,436Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)105.45.4% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household53.5%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Portland-Vancouver, OR: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area was $52,120 in May 2025, about $4,343 a month or $25.06 an hour. Statewide, the Oregon median for this job is $50,760, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA was $25.06 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $20.46 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.72.

How many forklift operators work in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

BLS estimated 4,220 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.70 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA run from $42,570 at the 10th percentile to $47,660 at the 25th, $62,220 at the 75th, and $63,900 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

On a median gross salary of $52,120, an estimated $40,668 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,564 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Oregon in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $11,452 (an effective rate of 22%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

On the median annual salary of $52,120, gross monthly income is $4,343. After federal, FICA, and Oregon state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,389 per month (or $1,564 every two weeks).

Is $52,120 a good salary in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

At $52,120, the median salary for forklift operators is 53.5% of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA median household income ($97,436). It is 14% below the $60,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 105.4, so prices here run 5.4% above the U.S. average.