Winchester, VA-WV metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a forklift operator make in Winchester, VA?

In the Winchester, VA-WV metropolitan area, forklift operators earned a median of $45,360 a year ($21.81 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,470 of these jobs there. That is 4% below the $47,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $39,020 and $59,320; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $36,833 in take-home pay.

Forklift operator pay in Winchester, VA at a glance

Median salary

$45,360$21.81 per hour · $3,780 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$39,020$18.76/hr
25th percentile$45,110$21.69/hr
75th percentile$53,600$25.77/hr
90th percentile$59,320$28.52/hr
Jobs in this metro1,470Location quotient 4.35 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here4% belowAll-jobs median $47,070
Against Virginia3% belowStatewide median $46,920
Against the U.S.2% 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 Winchester, VA after taxes

$45,360
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,360
Net 81%
Fed 7%
VA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$36,833After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,069Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,417Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,263 / yr
Virginia state income tax$1,794 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,470 / yr

Forklift operators pay range in Winchester, VA, hourly and yearly

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

What forklift operators earned in the Winchester, VA-WV metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VA)
10th percentile$18.76/hr$3,252$39,020$32,103
25th percentile$21.69/hr$3,759$45,110$36,646
MedianMedian$21.81/hr$3,780$45,360$36,833
75th percentile$25.77/hr$4,467$53,600$42,980
90th percentile$28.52/hr$4,943$59,320$47,247

Is $45,360 a good salary in Winchester, VA?

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$84,298Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)96.53.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household53.8%of area median income

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

Forklift operator pay in Winchester, VA: common questions

What is the median salary for forklift operators in Winchester, VA-WV?

The BLS median annual wage for forklift operators in the Winchester, VA-WV metro area was $45,360 in May 2025, about $3,780 a month or $21.81 an hour. Statewide, the Virginia median for this job is $46,920, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for forklift operators in Winchester, VA-WV?

The median hourly wage for forklift operators in Winchester, VA-WV was $21.81 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.76 an hour and one in ten earned more than $28.52.

How many forklift operators work in Winchester, VA-WV?

BLS estimated 1,470 jobs for forklift operators in the metro in May 2025, or 21.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 4.35 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for forklift operators in Winchester, VA-WV?

BLS wage estimates for forklift operators in Winchester, VA-WV run from $39,020 at the 10th percentile to $45,110 at the 25th, $53,600 at the 75th, and $59,320 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do forklift operators take home after taxes in Winchester, VA-WV?

On a median gross salary of $45,360, an estimated $36,833 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,417 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,527 (an effective rate of 18.8%).

How much do forklift operators make per month in Winchester, VA-WV?

On the median annual salary of $45,360, gross monthly income is $3,780. After federal, FICA, and Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,069 per month (or $1,417 every two weeks).

Is $45,360 a good salary in Winchester, VA-WV?

At $45,360, the median salary for forklift operators is 53.8% of the Winchester, VA-WV median household income ($84,298). It is 4% below the $47,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 96.5, so prices here run 3.5% below the U.S. average.