Traverse City, MI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Traverse City, MI?

In the Traverse City, MI metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $47,340 a year ($22.76 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 230 of these jobs there. That is about the same as the $47,470 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $37,820 and $66,350; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Michigan tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,456 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Traverse City, MI at a glance

Median salary

$47,340$22.76 per hour · $3,945 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$37,820$18.18/hr
25th percentile$39,430$18.96/hr
75th percentile$52,950$25.46/hr
90th percentile$66,350$31.90/hr
Jobs in this metro230Location quotient 0.67 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs hereabout the same asAll-jobs median $47,470
Against Michigan5% aboveStatewide median $45,220
Against the U.S.2% 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 Traverse City, MI after taxes

$47,340
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$47,340
Net 81%
Fed 7%
MI 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,456After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,205Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,479Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,501 / yr
Michigan state income tax$1,761 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,622 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Traverse City, MI, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Traverse City, MI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MI)
10th percentile$18.18/hr$3,152$37,820$31,212
25th percentile$18.96/hr$3,286$39,430$32,437
MedianMedian$22.76/hr$3,945$47,340$38,456
75th percentile$25.46/hr$4,413$52,950$42,726
90th percentile$31.90/hr$5,529$66,350$52,923

Is $47,340 a good salary in Traverse City, MI?

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$80,889Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.46.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household58.5%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Traverse City, MI: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Traverse City, MI?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Traverse City, MI metro area was $47,340 in May 2025, about $3,945 a month or $22.76 an hour. Statewide, the Michigan median for this job is $45,220, so the metro pays 5% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Traverse City, MI?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Traverse City, MI was $22.76 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.18 an hour and one in ten earned more than $31.90.

How many forklift operators work in Traverse City, MI?

BLS estimated 230 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 3.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.67 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Traverse City, MI?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Traverse City, MI run from $37,820 at the 10th percentile to $39,430 at the 25th, $52,950 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 Traverse City, MI?

On a median gross salary of $47,340, an estimated $38,456 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,479 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Michigan in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,884 (an effective rate of 18.8%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Traverse City, MI?

On the median annual salary of $47,340, gross monthly income is $3,945. After federal, FICA, and Michigan state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,205 per month (or $1,479 every two weeks).

Is $47,340 a good salary in Traverse City, MI?

At $47,340, the median salary for forklift operators is 58.5% of the Traverse City, MI median household income ($80,889). It is about the same as the $47,470 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.4, so prices here run 6.6% below the U.S. average.