Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

In the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $46,970 a year ($22.58 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 670 of these jobs there. That is 17% below the $56,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $42,170 and $63,330; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $39,059 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA at a glance

Median salary

$46,970$22.58 per hour · $3,914 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$42,170$20.28/hr
25th percentile$44,720$21.50/hr
75th percentile$56,610$27.22/hr
90th percentile$63,330$30.45/hr
Jobs in this metro670Location quotient 0.66 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here17% belowAll-jobs median $56,850
Against California2% belowStatewide median $47,770
Against the U.S.1% 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA after taxes

$46,970
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$46,970
Net 83%
Fed 7%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$39,059After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,255Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,502Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,456 / yr
California state income tax$861 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,593 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$20.28/hr$3,514$42,170$35,394
25th percentile$21.50/hr$3,727$44,720$37,341
MedianMedian$22.58/hr$3,914$46,970$39,059
75th percentile$27.22/hr$4,718$56,610$46,230
90th percentile$30.45/hr$5,278$63,330$51,225

Is $46,970 a good salary in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, 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$104,674Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)107.87.8% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household44.9%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area was $46,970 in May 2025, about $3,914 a month or $22.58 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $47,770, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA was $22.58 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $20.28 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.45.

How many forklift operators work in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

BLS estimated 670 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.66 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA run from $42,170 at the 10th percentile to $44,720 at the 25th, $56,610 at the 75th, and $63,330 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

On a median gross salary of $46,970, an estimated $39,059 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,502 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,911 (an effective rate of 16.8%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

On the median annual salary of $46,970, gross monthly income is $3,914. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,255 per month (or $1,502 every two weeks).

Is $46,970 a good salary in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

At $46,970, the median salary for forklift operators is 44.9% of the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA median household income ($104,674). It is 17% below the $56,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 107.8, so prices here run 7.8% above the U.S. average.