Springfield, IL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Springfield, IL?

In the Springfield, IL metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $42,710 a year ($20.53 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 100 of these jobs there. That is 19% below the $52,670 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,740 and $59,600; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Illinois tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $34,528 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Springfield, IL at a glance

Median salary

$42,710$20.53 per hour · $3,559 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,740$16.70/hr
25th percentile$37,760$18.16/hr
75th percentile$52,520$25.25/hr
90th percentile$59,600$28.65/hr
Jobs in this metro100Location quotient 0.19 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here19% belowAll-jobs median $52,670
Against Illinois10% belowStatewide median $47,720
Against the U.S.8% 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 Springfield, IL after taxes

$42,710
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$42,710
Net 81%
Fed 7%
IL 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$34,528After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,877Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,328Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,945 / yr
Illinois state income tax$1,969 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,267 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Springfield, IL, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Springfield, IL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IL)
10th percentile$16.70/hr$2,895$34,740$28,519
25th percentile$18.16/hr$3,147$37,760$30,796
MedianMedian$20.53/hr$3,559$42,710$34,528
75th percentile$25.25/hr$4,377$52,520$41,925
90th percentile$28.65/hr$4,967$59,600$47,263

Is $42,710 a good salary in Springfield, IL?

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$75,895Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.77.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household56.3%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Springfield, IL: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Springfield, IL?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Springfield, IL metro area was $42,710 in May 2025, about $3,559 a month or $20.53 an hour. Statewide, the Illinois median for this job is $47,720, so the metro pays 10% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Springfield, IL?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Springfield, IL was $20.53 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.70 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.65.

How many forklift operators work in Springfield, IL?

BLS estimated 100 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 1.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.19 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Springfield, IL?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Springfield, IL run from $34,740 at the 10th percentile to $37,760 at the 25th, $52,520 at the 75th, and $59,600 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Springfield, IL?

On a median gross salary of $42,710, an estimated $34,528 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,328 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Illinois in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,182 (an effective rate of 19.2%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Springfield, IL?

On the median annual salary of $42,710, gross monthly income is $3,559. After federal, FICA, and Illinois state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,877 per month (or $1,328 every two weeks).

Is $42,710 a good salary in Springfield, IL?

At $42,710, the median salary for forklift operators is 56.3% of the Springfield, IL median household income ($75,895). It is 19% below the $52,670 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.7, so prices here run 7.3% below the U.S. average.