Official pay data
Updated 15 October 2026
Salary guide
Official annual estimates for the whole country, mapped to the closest published occupation.
United Kingdom · gross annual earnings estimate
25th percentile
£26,597
Median
£31,279
75th percentile
£38,883
This ASHE benchmark covers full-time employee jobs, not self-employed income or part-time jobs. ASHE gross earnings include basic pay, overtime, incentive pay such as bonuses and commissions, shift premiums, and other cash pay. They are before deductions, exclude payments in kind, and are not take-home pay or the whole benefits package. Compare the benchmark with an offer on the same working-hours and annual-pay basis.
This is a country-level occupation benchmark, not a local offer estimate. Pay can differ by location, employer, duties, and working pattern.
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. Mapped to Fork-lift truck drivers; the occupation is broader than the page role. Figures are estimates, not advertised salaries.
For UK salary comparison, “Forklift Operator” is matched to the official “fork-lift truck drivers” occupation. That is a useful national benchmark for work such as moving, stacking and loading goods, but it is not a salary promise for every operator or employer. The benchmark covers full-time employee jobs, while your offer may differ by duties, employer, location or working pattern.
Benchmark fit
The benchmark is a reasonable match because the UK profile uses “forklift driver” for this occupation, which supports the approved “Forklift Operator” label. It should not be treated as equivalent to plant operators or HGV drivers, which are separate possible career moves.
Nearby titles: Forklift driver.
The occupational match describes a national scope, not the exact duties or pay in a particular vacancy.
Role scope
A Forklift Operator moves and handles goods safely within the employer’s logistics or storage operation.
Carry out equipment safety checks at the start of a shift. · Load and unload goods from lorries, ships or aircraft, depending on the workplace. · Move and stack goods in storage bays, and pick and pack orders. · Use radio equipment to communicate with other staff and complete delivery-note or stock-control paperwork where those tasks are assigned.
Goods are moved, stacked, loaded or unloaded, with stock and delivery records completed where required.
This approved title corresponds to the profile’s “forklift driver” label; it does not include plant operator or HGV driver work by default.
Read the range
An operator whose work centres on safety checks, moving and stacking goods, and loading or unloading transport fits the benchmark closely. If the job also includes order picking, radio coordination or stock paperwork, those tasks still sit within the profile’s described scope, but they do not create a separate salary band. If receiving, checking, storing and dispatching stock make up most of the job, compare it with the [Warehouse salary guide](/uk/salaries/warehouse).
One quarter of employees earn below this figure.
Half of employees earn below this figure and half above it; it is not the arithmetic midpoint of the displayed range.
One quarter of employees earn above this figure.
Location
The figures are a UK-wide occupational benchmark. Supplementary regional medians are available for the listed UK regions, but a regional figure is still not a local offer estimate.
| Region | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| East | Not published | £31,311 | Not published |
| East Midlands | Not published | £25,685 | Not published |
| North West | Not published | £29,736 | Not published |
| Scotland | Not published | £34,800 | Not published |
| South East | Not published | £33,998 | Not published |
| South West | Not published | £40,846 | Not published |
| West Midlands | Not published | £28,134 | Not published |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | Not published | £27,151 | Not published |
Pay can differ with location, employer, duties and working pattern.
Beyond salary
Compare the offer on the same annual and working-hours basis as the benchmark, then separate guaranteed cash from payments that depend on overtime, shifts, bonuses or commissions. Treat pension, health cover, leave and equity as separate benefits whose terms need checking.
This gives you a like-for-like starting point for comparing the offer with the benchmark.
These payments can be included in gross earnings, but they should not be treated as guaranteed salary unless the contract says so.
The benchmark is gross cash pay before deductions and excludes payments in kind, so benefits need a separate comparison.
Employment model
The benchmark covers full-time employee jobs. It is not a measure of self-employed income or part-time pay.
Check that the offer’s hours and annual-pay basis match before comparing the quoted amount with the benchmark.
Do not compare these arrangements directly with the full-time employee benchmark without adjusting for the different basis.
Offer review
Compare roles
Warehouse operatives help goods move through a warehouse by receiving, checking, storing and dispatching stock. That overlaps with a Forklift Operator's goods-handling and storage duties, but the roles are not identical. This related role uses a different dataset, so its benchmark should not be treated as the Forklift Operator salary benchmark.
Compare salary guideQuestions
Source
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. The figures cover Fork-lift truck drivers (8222) and full time employee jobs. Updated 15 October 2026. This broad occupation benchmark may not match every Forklift Operator vacancy.
Put the benchmark to work
Use the salary range as context. Tailor your CV around the experience that supports your target level.
