Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Seattle-Tacoma, WA?

In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $55,600 a year ($26.73 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 10,110 of these jobs there. That is 23% below the $72,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $46,220 and $63,690; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Washington tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $46,855 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Seattle-Tacoma, WA at a glance

Median salary

$55,600$26.73 per hour · $4,633 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$46,220$22.22/hr
25th percentile$48,710$23.42/hr
75th percentile$56,940$27.38/hr
90th percentile$63,690$30.62/hr
Jobs in this metro10,110Location quotient 0.97 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here23% belowAll-jobs median $72,610
Against Washington11% aboveStatewide median $49,910
Against the U.S.20% 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 Seattle-Tacoma, WA after taxes

$55,600
$20,000$115,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$55,600
Net 84%
Fed 8%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$46,855After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,905Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,802Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,492 / yr
Washington state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,253 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Seattle-Tacoma, WA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WA)
10th percentile$22.22/hr$3,852$46,220$39,318
25th percentile$23.42/hr$4,059$48,710$41,318
MedianMedian$26.73/hr$4,633$55,600$46,855
75th percentile$27.38/hr$4,745$56,940$47,931
90th percentile$30.62/hr$5,308$63,690$53,355

Is $55,600 a good salary in Seattle-Tacoma, WA?

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$115,177Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)111.111.1% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.3%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Seattle-Tacoma, WA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area was $55,600 in May 2025, about $4,633 a month or $26.73 an hour. Statewide, the Washington median for this job is $49,910, so the metro pays 11% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA was $26.73 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $22.22 an hour and one in ten earned more than $30.62.

How many forklift operators work in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

BLS estimated 10,110 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 4.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.97 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA run from $46,220 at the 10th percentile to $48,710 at the 25th, $56,940 at the 75th, and $63,690 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

On a median gross salary of $55,600, an estimated $46,855 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,802 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Washington in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,745 (an effective rate of 15.7%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

On the median annual salary of $55,600, gross monthly income is $4,633. After federal, FICA, and Washington state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,905 per month (or $1,802 every two weeks).

Is $55,600 a good salary in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?

At $55,600, the median salary for forklift operators is 48.3% of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA median household income ($115,177). It is 23% below the $72,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 111.1, so prices here run 11.1% above the U.S. average.