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St. Louis, MO-IL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in St. Louis, MO?

In the St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $46,330 a year ($22.28 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 4,980 of these jobs there. That is 7% below the $49,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $37,480 and $66,350; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Illinois tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $37,258 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in St. Louis, MO at a glance

Median salary

$46,330$22.28 per hour · $3,861 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$37,480$18.02/hr
25th percentile$42,880$20.61/hr
75th percentile$59,690$28.70/hr
90th percentile$66,350$31.90/hr
Jobs in this metro4,980Location quotient 0.75 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here7% belowAll-jobs median $49,990
Against Illinois3% belowStatewide median $47,720
Against the U.S.about the same asNational 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.

Take-home payWhat $46,000 a year leaves after tax in IllinoisFederal tax, FICA and Illinois withholding on that salary, with the other 49 states beside it.
By the hour$22 an hour is how much a yearWeekly, biweekly and monthly gross at 2,080 hours, plus time and a half.
HousingWhat a $46,000 salary buys at today's ratesPrice range, down payment and the monthly payment behind it, on current mortgage rates.
Local pricesWhat $46,000 is worth where you liveRent, groceries and the local price level against the national average.
Same stateEvery occupation Illinois publishes a wage forThe biggest employers, the best paid, and what is distinctive about Illinois.

Forklift operator salary in St. Louis, MO after taxes

$46,330
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$46,330
Net 80%
Fed 7%
IL 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$37,258After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,105Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,433Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,380 / yr
Illinois state income tax$2,149 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,544 / yr
Customize deductions in full Illinois calculator

Forklift operators pay range in St. Louis, MO, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IL)
10th percentile$18.02/hr$3,123$37,480$30,585
25th percentile$20.61/hr$3,573$42,880$34,656
MedianMedian$22.28/hr$3,861$46,330$37,258
75th percentile$28.70/hr$4,974$59,690$47,331
90th percentile$31.90/hr$5,529$66,350$52,353

Is $46,330 a good salary in St. Louis, MO?

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$80,196Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)95.14.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household57.8%of area median income

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

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Forklift operators pay in other Illinois metros

Metros in the same state that are closest in size to St. Louis, MO. A statewide average can hide differences this large.

Forklift operator pay in St. Louis, MO: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in St. Louis, MO-IL?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area was $46,330 in May 2025, about $3,861 a month or $22.28 an hour. Statewide, the Illinois median for this job is $47,720, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in St. Louis, MO-IL?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in St. Louis, MO-IL was $22.28 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.02 an hour and one in ten earned more than $31.90.

How many forklift operators work in St. Louis, MO-IL?

BLS estimated 4,980 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.75 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in St. Louis, MO-IL?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in St. Louis, MO-IL run from $37,480 at the 10th percentile to $42,880 at the 25th, $59,690 at the 75th, and $66,350 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in St. Louis, MO-IL?

On a median gross salary of $46,330, an estimated $37,258 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,433 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Illinois in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,072 (an effective rate of 19.6%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in St. Louis, MO-IL?

On the median annual salary of $46,330, gross monthly income is $3,861. After federal, FICA, and Illinois state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,105 per month (or $1,433 every two weeks).

Is $46,330 a good salary in St. Louis, MO-IL?

At $46,330, the median salary for forklift operators is 57.8% of the St. Louis, MO-IL median household income ($80,196). It is 7% below the $49,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.1, so prices here run 4.9% below the U.S. average.