Job outlook for forklift operators in the United States

Forklift operator job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

The projected forklift operator job growth rate is 7% from 2018-2028.
About 56,900 new jobs for forklift operators are projected over the next decade.
Forklift operator salaries have increased 16% for forklift operators in the last 5 years.
There are over 1,595,758 forklift operators currently employed in the United States.
There are 213,020 active forklift operator job openings in the US.
The average forklift operator salary is $34,213.

Are forklift operator jobs in demand?

Yes, forklift operator jobs are in demand. Forklift operator demand is projected to grow 7% from 2018 to 2028.

Forklift operator job and salary trends over time

Compare the number of forklift operator jobs and the average forklift operator salary over time.

Forklift operator jobs over time

Forklift operator job growth rate over time

Year	# of jobs	% of population
2021	1,595,758	0.47%
2020	1,506,051	0.45%
2019	1,553,142	0.46%
2018	1,502,597	0.45%
2017	1,412,491	0.43%

Average forklift operator salary over time

Forklift operator salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$34,213	$16.45	+3.8%
2024	$32,974	$15.85	+4.2%
2023	$31,653	$15.22	+3.3%
2022	$30,633	$14.73	+3.6%
2021	$29,567	$14.22	+1.2%

Top forklift operator jobs near you

Forklift operator jobs by state

The map below shows you the number of forklift operator job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where forklift operators earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average salary: Job openings:

Most common states for forklift operators

Rank	State	Population	# of jobs	Employment/ 1000ppl
1	Indiana	6,666,818	2,275	34%
2	Massachusetts	6,859,819	2,265	33%
3	New Jersey	9,005,644	2,920	32%
4	Maryland	6,052,177	1,923	32%
5	Rhode Island	1,059,639	336	32%
6	Pennsylvania	12,805,537	3,811	30%
7	Wisconsin	5,795,483	1,655	29%
8	Iowa	3,145,711	829	26%
9	Georgia	10,429,379	2,357	23%
10	Minnesota	5,576,606	1,204	22%
11	Kansas	2,913,123	648	22%
12	New Hampshire	1,342,795	295	22%
13	Kentucky	4,454,189	951	21%
14	Illinois	12,802,023	2,434	19%
15	Ohio	11,658,609	2,190	19%
16	Tennessee	6,715,984	1,275	19%
17	North Dakota	755,393	137	18%
18	District of Columbia	693,972	127	18%
19	Utah	3,101,833	537	17%
20	Alaska	739,795	129	17%

Most common cities for forklift operators

Rank	City	# of jobs	Employment/ 1000ppl	Avg. salary
1	Romeoville	23	58%	$35,013
2	Bolingbrook	25	34%	$35,051
3	Saint Cloud	19	28%	$39,216
4	Tracy	21	24%	$36,015
5	Ontario	20	12%	$34,809
6	Fontana	24	11%	$34,793
7	Orlando	22	8%	$31,936
8	Kansas City	31	6%	$34,064
9	Atlanta	28	6%	$31,542
10	Aurora	22	6%	$36,070
11	Portland	25	4%	$36,752
12	Miami	20	4%	$31,540
13	Columbus	24	3%	$34,187
14	Fort Worth	23	3%	$31,410
15	Dallas	30	2%	$31,401
16	Phoenix	30	2%	$33,069
17	Indianapolis	21	2%	$34,221
18	Jacksonville	19	2%	$32,168
19	Houston	28	1%	$31,179

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