Wilmington, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Wilmington, NC?

In the Wilmington, NC metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $42,210 a year ($20.29 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 350 of these jobs there. That is 8% below the $45,800 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,370 and $57,340; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $34,920 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Wilmington, NC at a glance

Median salary

$42,210$20.29 per hour · $3,518 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,370$17.00/hr
25th percentile$37,080$17.83/hr
75th percentile$47,920$23.04/hr
90th percentile$57,340$27.57/hr
Jobs in this metro350Location quotient 0.36 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here8% belowAll-jobs median $45,800
Against North Carolina3% belowStatewide median $43,420
Against the U.S.9% belowNational median $46,420

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Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Forklift operator salary in Wilmington, NC after taxes

$42,210
$15,000$85,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$42,210
Net 83%
Fed 7%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$34,920After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,910Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,343Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,885 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$1,175 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,229 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Wilmington, NC, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Wilmington, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$17.00/hr$2,948$35,370$29,697
25th percentile$17.83/hr$3,090$37,080$31,003
MedianMedian$20.29/hr$3,518$42,210$34,920
75th percentile$23.04/hr$3,993$47,920$39,280
90th percentile$27.57/hr$4,778$57,340$46,474

Is $42,210 a good salary in Wilmington, NC?

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$76,471Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)96.43.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household55.2%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Wilmington, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Wilmington, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Wilmington, NC metro area was $42,210 in May 2025, about $3,518 a month or $20.29 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $43,420, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Wilmington, NC?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Wilmington, NC was $20.29 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $27.57.

How many forklift operators work in Wilmington, NC?

BLS estimated 350 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 1.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.36 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Wilmington, NC?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Wilmington, NC run from $35,370 at the 10th percentile to $37,080 at the 25th, $47,920 at the 75th, and $57,340 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Wilmington, NC?

On a median gross salary of $42,210, an estimated $34,920 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,343 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,290 (an effective rate of 17.3%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Wilmington, NC?

On the median annual salary of $42,210, gross monthly income is $3,518. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,910 per month (or $1,343 every two weeks).

Is $42,210 a good salary in Wilmington, NC?

At $42,210, the median salary for forklift operators is 55.2% of the Wilmington, NC median household income ($76,471). It is 8% below the $45,800 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 96.4, so prices here run 3.6% below the U.S. average.