Rocky Mount, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Rocky Mount, NC?

In the Rocky Mount, NC metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $39,430 a year ($18.96 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 410 of these jobs there. That is 10% below the $43,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $32,910 and $44,860; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,797 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Rocky Mount, NC at a glance

Median salary

$39,430$18.96 per hour · $3,286 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$32,910$15.82/hr
25th percentile$35,510$17.07/hr
75th percentile$41,980$20.18/hr
90th percentile$44,860$21.57/hr
Jobs in this metro410Location quotient 1.51 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here10% belowAll-jobs median $43,960
Against North Carolina9% belowStatewide median $43,420
Against the U.S.15% 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 Rocky Mount, NC after taxes

$39,430
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$39,430
Net 83%
Fed 6%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,797After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,733Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,261Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,552 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$1,065 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,016 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Rocky Mount, NC, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Rocky Mount, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$15.82/hr$2,743$32,910$27,819
25th percentile$17.07/hr$2,959$35,510$29,804
MedianMedian$18.96/hr$3,286$39,430$32,797
75th percentile$20.18/hr$3,498$41,980$34,745
90th percentile$21.57/hr$3,738$44,860$36,944

Is $39,430 a good salary in Rocky Mount, 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$59,636Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.012% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household66.1%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Rocky Mount, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Rocky Mount, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Rocky Mount, NC metro area was $39,430 in May 2025, about $3,286 a month or $18.96 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $43,420, so the metro pays 9% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Rocky Mount, NC?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Rocky Mount, NC was $18.96 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.82 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.57.

How many forklift operators work in Rocky Mount, NC?

BLS estimated 410 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 7.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.51 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Rocky Mount, NC?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Rocky Mount, NC run from $32,910 at the 10th percentile to $35,510 at the 25th, $41,980 at the 75th, and $44,860 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Rocky Mount, NC?

On a median gross salary of $39,430, an estimated $32,797 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,261 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,633 (an effective rate of 16.8%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Rocky Mount, NC?

On the median annual salary of $39,430, gross monthly income is $3,286. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,733 per month (or $1,261 every two weeks).

Is $39,430 a good salary in Rocky Mount, NC?

At $39,430, the median salary for forklift operators is 66.1% of the Rocky Mount, NC median household income ($59,636). It is 10% below the $43,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.0, so prices here run 12% below the U.S. average.