Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Washington-Arlington, DC?

In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $49,710 a year ($23.90 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 6,400 of these jobs there. That is 30% below the $71,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $40,780 and $77,180; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and District of Columbia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $40,239 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Washington-Arlington, DC at a glance

Median salary

$49,710$23.90 per hour · $4,143 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$40,780$19.61/hr
25th percentile$45,620$21.93/hr
75th percentile$62,850$30.21/hr
90th percentile$77,180$37.11/hr
Jobs in this metro6,400Location quotient 0.41 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here30% belowAll-jobs median $71,060
Against the U.S.7% 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 Washington-Arlington, DC after taxes

$49,710
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$49,710
Net 81%
Fed 8%
DC 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$40,239After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,353Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,548Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,785 / yr
District of Columbia state income tax$1,883 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,803 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Washington-Arlington, DC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What forklift operators earned in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DC)
10th percentile$19.61/hr$3,398$40,780$33,600
25th percentile$21.93/hr$3,802$45,620$37,198
MedianMedian$23.90/hr$4,143$49,710$40,239
75th percentile$30.21/hr$5,238$62,850$49,970
90th percentile$37.11/hr$6,432$77,180$59,441

Is $49,710 a good salary in Washington-Arlington, DC?

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$126,684Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)108.98.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household39.2%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Washington-Arlington, DC: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area was $49,710 in May 2025, about $4,143 a month or $23.90 an hour.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV was $23.90 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $19.61 an hour and one in ten earned more than $37.11.

How many forklift operators work in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

BLS estimated 6,400 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 2.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.41 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV run from $40,780 at the 10th percentile to $45,620 at the 25th, $62,850 at the 75th, and $77,180 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

On a median gross salary of $49,710, an estimated $40,239 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,548 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in District of Columbia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,471 (an effective rate of 19.1%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

On the median annual salary of $49,710, gross monthly income is $4,143. After federal, FICA, and District of Columbia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,353 per month (or $1,548 every two weeks).

Is $49,710 a good salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

At $49,710, the median salary for forklift operators is 39.2% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median household income ($126,684). It is 30% below the $71,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 108.9, so prices here run 8.9% above the U.S. average.