San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in San Luis Obispo, CA?

In the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $45,100 a year ($21.68 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 210 of these jobs there. That is 11% below the $50,770 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $38,300 and $64,850; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $37,631 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in San Luis Obispo, CA at a glance

Median salary

$45,100$21.68 per hour · $3,758 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$38,300$18.42/hr
25th percentile$41,110$19.77/hr
75th percentile$48,070$23.11/hr
90th percentile$64,850$31.18/hr
Jobs in this metro210Location quotient 0.34 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here11% belowAll-jobs median $50,770
Against California6% belowStatewide median $47,770
Against the U.S.3% 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 San Luis Obispo, CA after taxes

$45,100
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,100
Net 83%
Fed 7%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$37,631After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,136Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,447Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,232 / yr
California state income tax$787 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,450 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in San Luis Obispo, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$18.42/hr$3,192$38,300$32,439
25th percentile$19.77/hr$3,426$41,110$34,585
MedianMedian$21.68/hr$3,758$45,100$37,631
75th percentile$23.11/hr$4,006$48,070$39,881
90th percentile$31.18/hr$5,404$64,850$52,324

Is $45,100 a good salary in San Luis Obispo, CA?

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$97,446Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)108.68.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household46.3%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in San Luis Obispo, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area was $45,100 in May 2025, about $3,758 a month or $21.68 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $47,770, so the metro pays 6% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA was $21.68 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.42 an hour and one in ten earned more than $31.18.

How many forklift operators work in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

BLS estimated 210 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 1.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.34 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA run from $38,300 at the 10th percentile to $41,110 at the 25th, $48,070 at the 75th, and $64,850 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

On a median gross salary of $45,100, an estimated $37,631 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,447 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,469 (an effective rate of 16.6%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

On the median annual salary of $45,100, gross monthly income is $3,758. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,136 per month (or $1,447 every two weeks).

Is $45,100 a good salary in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

At $45,100, the median salary for forklift operators is 46.3% of the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA median household income ($97,446). It is 11% below the $50,770 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 108.6, so prices here run 8.6% above the U.S. average.