Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified these details of material handler/forklift operator salary by state for the United States:
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North Dakota has the highest material handler/forklift operator salary of $47,480
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New Mexico has the lowest material handler/forklift operator salary of $29,690
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The national average salary for material handler/forklift operators is $36,453
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The national hourly pay for material handler/forklift operators is $17.53
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
Without fail, in surveys across basically every demographic, the number one most important aspect of a job for most people is the salary — how much do material handler/forklift operators get paid where I live?
And while there are many things to go into how much you, specifically, can expect to make, there’s really good data for average salaries for material handler/forklift operator by state across America broken down by seniority level. So while your city may be slightly different than the state average, these averages give you a rough sense of what to expect for your salary.
The state with the best salary for material handler/forklift operators after this adjustment? That would be North Dakota.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top ten states for material handler/forklift operator salaries:
Let’s take a look at how we got here and a full ranking of all the states.
Highest-Paid Material Handler/forklift Operators By State
| Rank | State | Average Material Handler/forklift Operator Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $47,480 | $37,000 | $59,000 |
| 2 | Alaska | $46,526 | $39,000 | $54,000 |
| 3 | Vermont | $43,989 | $35,000 | $55,000 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $43,153 | $33,000 | $54,000 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $43,040 | $34,000 | $54,000 |
| 6 | New York | $42,326 | $32,000 | $54,000 |
| 7 | Washington | $42,230 | $33,000 | $53,000 |
| 8 | Maryland | $42,048 | $32,000 | $54,000 |
| 9 | Colorado | $41,920 | $33,000 | $52,000 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $41,691 | $33,000 | $52,000 |
| 11 | Montana | $41,638 | $32,000 | $52,000 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $41,385 | $32,000 | $52,000 |
| 13 | Maine | $41,332 | $33,000 | $51,000 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $41,310 | $33,000 | $50,000 |
| 15 | South Dakota | $41,141 | $32,000 | $51,000 |
| 16 | Iowa | $40,478 | $32,000 | $51,000 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $40,267 | $32,000 | $50,000 |
| 18 | Oregon | $40,039 | $31,000 | $51,000 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $39,954 | $31,000 | $50,000 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $39,904 | $30,000 | $51,000 |
| 21 | Illinois | $39,296 | $31,000 | $49,000 |
| 22 | California | $39,002 | $30,000 | $50,000 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $38,949 | $30,000 | $50,000 |
| 24 | Utah | $38,942 | $30,000 | $49,000 |
| 25 | Nevada | $38,841 | $30,000 | $49,000 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $38,744 | $30,000 | $48,000 |
| 27 | Delaware | $38,621 | $29,000 | $50,000 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $37,923 | $30,000 | $47,000 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $37,716 | $29,000 | $47,000 |
| 30 | Kansas | $37,654 | $30,000 | $46,000 |
| 31 | Indiana | $37,472 | $29,000 | $47,000 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $37,446 | $29,000 | $48,000 |
| 33 | Idaho | $37,407 | $29,000 | $48,000 |
| 34 | Missouri | $37,259 | $29,000 | $46,000 |
| 35 | Michigan | $36,798 | $28,000 | $46,000 |
| 36 | Ohio | $36,646 | $28,000 | $46,000 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $36,146 | $28,000 | $45,000 |
| 38 | Florida | $34,883 | $27,000 | $44,000 |
| 39 | Virginia | $34,854 | $27,000 | $44,000 |
| 40 | Arizona | $34,449 | $27,000 | $43,000 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $34,307 | $27,000 | $43,000 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $34,082 | $27,000 | $42,000 |
| 43 | Alabama | $33,844 | $27,000 | $42,000 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $33,622 | $27,000 | $41,000 |
| 45 | Georgia | $33,446 | $26,000 | $41,000 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $33,095 | $26,000 | $41,000 |
| 47 | Texas | $33,056 | $26,000 | $41,000 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $32,791 | $26,000 | $40,000 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $32,079 | $25,000 | $39,000 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $29,690 | $23,000 | $37,000 |
Methodology: Material Handler/forklift Operator Salary By State
To better understand material handler/forklift operator pay by state, Zippia has aggregated data across a multitude of channels including the BLS, FLC, and OPM. We then supplement that data with actual listed salaries from job posts. Finally, the data science team calculates a weighted average of these inputs to create an average pay for material handler/forklift operators by state.
We took the average annual salary data for material handler/forklift operators from these estimates and ranked every state on this criteria with the state with the highest salary ranking as highest average salary for material handler/forklift operators.
Material Handler/forklift Operator Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for material handler/forklift operators?
The highest-paid state for material handler/forklift operators is North Dakota with an average salary of $47,480 per year.
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What city pays material handler/forklift operators the most?
Lakeville, MN pays material handler/forklift operators the most with an average salary of $42,867 per year.
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What is the worst state for material handler/forklift operators?
The worst state for material handler/forklift operators is New Mexico with an average salary of $29,690 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
