Roanoke, VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Roanoke, VA?

In the Roanoke, VA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $45,770 a year ($22.01 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 530 of these jobs there. That is 3% below the $47,140 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,620 and $58,760; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $37,139 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Roanoke, VA at a glance

Median salary

$45,770$22.01 per hour · $3,814 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,620$16.65/hr
25th percentile$37,790$18.17/hr
75th percentile$49,000$23.56/hr
90th percentile$58,760$28.25/hr
Jobs in this metro530Location quotient 0.69 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here3% belowAll-jobs median $47,140
Against Virginia2% belowStatewide median $46,920
Against the U.S.1% 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 Roanoke, VA after taxes

$45,770
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,770
Net 81%
Fed 7%
VA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$37,139After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,095Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,428Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,312 / yr
Virginia state income tax$1,818 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,501 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Roanoke, VA, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Roanoke, VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VA)
10th percentile$16.65/hr$2,885$34,620$28,821
25th percentile$18.17/hr$3,149$37,790$31,185
MedianMedian$22.01/hr$3,814$45,770$37,139
75th percentile$23.56/hr$4,083$49,000$39,548
90th percentile$28.25/hr$4,897$58,760$46,829

Is $45,770 a good salary in Roanoke, VA?

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$68,761Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.66.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household66.6%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Roanoke, VA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Roanoke, VA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Roanoke, VA metro area was $45,770 in May 2025, about $3,814 a month or $22.01 an hour. Statewide, the Virginia median for this job is $46,920, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Roanoke, VA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Roanoke, VA was $22.01 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.65 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.25.

How many forklift operators work in Roanoke, VA?

BLS estimated 530 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.69 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Roanoke, VA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Roanoke, VA run from $34,620 at the 10th percentile to $37,790 at the 25th, $49,000 at the 75th, and $58,760 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Roanoke, VA?

On a median gross salary of $45,770, an estimated $37,139 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,428 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,631 (an effective rate of 18.9%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Roanoke, VA?

On the median annual salary of $45,770, gross monthly income is $3,814. After federal, FICA, and Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,095 per month (or $1,428 every two weeks).

Is $45,770 a good salary in Roanoke, VA?

At $45,770, the median salary for forklift operators is 66.6% of the Roanoke, VA median household income ($68,761). It is 3% below the $47,140 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.6, so prices here run 6.4% below the U.S. average.