Wichita, KS metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Wichita, KS?

In the Wichita, KS metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $45,760 a year ($22.00 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,150 of these jobs there. That is 4% below the $47,630 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $37,370 and $77,230; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kansas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $37,194 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Wichita, KS at a glance

Median salary

$45,760$22.00 per hour · $3,813 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$37,370$17.96/hr
25th percentile$41,590$19.99/hr
75th percentile$57,770$27.77/hr
90th percentile$77,230$37.13/hr
Jobs in this metro1,150Location quotient 0.75 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here4% belowAll-jobs median $47,630
Against Kansas4% belowStatewide median $47,430
Against the U.S.1% 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 Wichita, KS after taxes

$45,760
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,760
Net 81%
Fed 7%
KS 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$37,194After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,100Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,431Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,311 / yr
Kansas state income tax$1,754 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,501 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Wichita, KS, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Wichita, KS metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KS)
10th percentile$17.96/hr$3,114$37,370$30,921
25th percentile$19.99/hr$3,466$41,590$34,077
MedianMedian$22.00/hr$3,813$45,760$37,194
75th percentile$27.77/hr$4,814$57,770$46,174
90th percentile$37.13/hr$6,436$77,230$59,652

Is $45,760 a good salary in Wichita, KS?

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$70,655Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.911.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household64.8%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Wichita, KS: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Wichita, KS?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Wichita, KS metro area was $45,760 in May 2025, about $3,813 a month or $22.00 an hour. Statewide, the Kansas median for this job is $47,430, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Wichita, KS?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Wichita, KS was $22.00 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.96 an hour and one in ten earned more than $37.13.

How many forklift operators work in Wichita, KS?

BLS estimated 1,150 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 Wichita, KS?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Wichita, KS run from $37,370 at the 10th percentile to $41,590 at the 25th, $57,770 at the 75th, and $77,230 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Wichita, KS?

On a median gross salary of $45,760, an estimated $37,194 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,431 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kansas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,566 (an effective rate of 18.7%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Wichita, KS?

On the median annual salary of $45,760, gross monthly income is $3,813. After federal, FICA, and Kansas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,100 per month (or $1,431 every two weeks).

Is $45,760 a good salary in Wichita, KS?

At $45,760, the median salary for forklift operators is 64.8% of the Wichita, KS median household income ($70,655). It is 4% below the $47,630 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.9, so prices here run 11.1% below the U.S. average.