Official pay data
Forklift Operator salary guide
Annual pay is $40,030–$54,770, with a median of $46,420, based on BLS May 2025 data for the United States. The figures cover Industrial truck and tractor operators, the mapped occupation used for Forklift Operator.
Updated August 18, 2026
Salary guide
What forklift operator roles pay
Official annual estimates for the whole country, with two decades of pay history.
United States · annual gross pay
$40,030–$54,770
Median
$46,420
25th–75th percentile for all employment.
Estimate for 2025-05-01. Source: BLS. Figures are estimates, not advertised salaries.
Read the range
Three points, one pay distribution
25th percentile
One quarter of reported salaries fall below this figure.
Median
Half of reported salaries fall below this figure and half above it.
75th percentile
One quarter of reported salaries rise above this figure.
These figures describe broad occupations, not individual vacancies. Seniority, location, employer, and working pattern can move an offer outside the published range.
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