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Forklift driver salary
Average forklift driver salary
$16.09
Understanding Forklift Driver Salaries
As of October 2025, the average forklift driver salary stands at $33,476 per year or approximately $16 per hour. However, this figure can vary based on several factors, including location, experience, and industry type. For instance, forklift drivers in California typically earn higher wages compared to those in other states due to the higher cost of living.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level forklift drivers may start with salaries around $29,000, while those with significant experience can earn upwards of $40,000 annually. The difference in pay underscores the value of gaining experience and seeking certifications.
Top Paying States
- California
- Washington
- New York
These states not only offer higher salaries but also a greater demand for skilled forklift operators. Additionally, exploring specialized roles within the industry, such as those involving heavy machinery or logistics management, can provide further opportunities for career advancement and increased earnings.
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Where can a Forklift Driver earn more?
Forklift driver salaries by experience level
Forklift driver salary estimates from across the web
Average forklift driver salary by state
The highest-paying states for forklift drivers are Alaska, North Dakota, and Minnesota. The lowest average forklift driver salary states are Arkansas, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for forklift drivers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | $36,688 | $17.64 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $38,789 | $18.65 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $42,539 | $20.45 |
| 4 | Alaska | $43,069 | $20.71 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $36,226 | $17.42 |
| 6 | Ohio | $32,933 | $15.83 |
| 7 | South Dakota | $36,290 | $17.45 |
| 8 | Montana | $37,495 | $18.03 |
| 9 | Oregon | $36,787 | $17.69 |
| 10 | Nevada | $35,375 | $17.01 |
| 11 | Washington | $37,877 | $18.21 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $36,999 | $17.79 |
| 13 | Iowa | $33,257 | $15.99 |
| 14 | Utah | $35,188 | $16.92 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $33,417 | $16.07 |
| 16 | Indiana | $32,398 | $15.58 |
| 17 | Illinois | $34,394 | $16.54 |
| 18 | Maine | $34,752 | $16.71 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $33,681 | $16.19 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $32,184 | $15.47 |
| 21 | Louisiana | $33,312 | $16.02 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $33,299 | $16.01 |
| 23 | Kansas | $32,177 | $15.47 |
| 24 | Colorado | $36,075 | $17.34 |
| 25 | Vermont | $33,582 | $16.15 |
| 26 | Michigan | $32,629 | $15.69 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $31,709 | $15.24 |
| 28 | Idaho | $34,116 | $16.40 |
| 29 | California | $35,052 | $16.85 |
| 30 | Maryland | $32,926 | $15.83 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $32,222 | $15.49 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $30,450 | $14.64 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $36,516 | $17.56 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $29,290 | $14.08 |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $31,973 | $15.37 |
| 36 | Missouri | $31,969 | $15.37 |
| 37 | New York | $33,074 | $15.90 |
| 38 | Georgia | $29,533 | $14.20 |
| 39 | Connecticut | $31,119 | $14.96 |
| 40 | Arizona | $31,045 | $14.93 |
| 41 | Delaware | $32,086 | $15.43 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $27,440 | $13.19 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $28,298 | $13.60 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $28,337 | $13.62 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $28,824 | $13.86 |
| 46 | Florida | $29,452 | $14.16 |
| 47 | Texas | $29,534 | $14.20 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $28,958 | $13.92 |
| 49 | Virginia | $30,811 | $14.81 |
| 50 | Alabama | $26,516 | $12.75 |
| 51 | New Mexico | $26,121 | $12.56 |
Highest paying cities for forklift drivers
The highest-paying cities for forklift drivers are Shakopee, MN, Tacoma, WA, and Portland, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shakopee, MN | $38,737 | $18.62 |
| 2 | Tacoma, WA | $37,952 | $18.25 |
| 3 | Portland, OR | $36,864 | $17.72 |
| 4 | Denver, CO | $36,080 | $17.35 |
| 5 | Salt Lake City, UT | $35,231 | $16.94 |
| 6 | Portland, ME | $34,809 | $16.74 |
| 7 | Wheeling, IL | $34,752 | $16.71 |
| 8 | Ontario, CA | $34,139 | $16.41 |
| 9 | Bowling Green, OH | $33,650 | $16.18 |
| 10 | Sioux City, IA | $33,601 | $16.15 |
| 11 | Grand Rapids, MI | $32,958 | $15.85 |
| 12 | Kansas City, KS | $32,328 | $15.54 |
| 13 | Kansas City, MO | $32,288 | $15.52 |
| 14 | Indianapolis, IN | $32,064 | $15.42 |
| 15 | Phoenix, AZ | $31,094 | $14.95 |
| 16 | El Paso, TX | $30,456 | $14.64 |
| 17 | Bowling Green, KY | $30,021 | $14.43 |
| 18 | Jacksonville, FL | $29,882 | $14.37 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $29,634 | $14.25 |
| 20 | Memphis, TN | $29,246 | $14.06 |
Forklift Drivers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Forklift driver salary details
A forklift driver's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $41,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a forklift driver's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 75th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| Average | $33,476 | $2,790 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest paying forklift driver jobs
The highest paying types of forklift drivers are dock worker/forklift operator, loader/driver, and material handler/forklift operator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse Machine Operator | $33,796 | $2,816 | $16.25 | 229,051 |
| Cherry Picker Operator | $33,956 | $2,830 | $16.32 | 105,023 |
| Warehouse Labour | $31,746 | $2,646 | $15.26 | 218,654 |
| Material Handler/Warehouse | $32,384 | $2,699 | $15.57 | 154,227 |
| Driver/Material Handler | $36,219 | $3,018 | $17.41 | 198,718 |
| Driver/Warehouse Worker | $35,198 | $2,933 | $16.92 | 310,383 |
Top companies hiring forklift drivers now:
Which companies pay forklift drivers the most?
Forklift driver salaries at BD and Reser's Fine Foods are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average forklift driver salary at companies like Fresh Express and Marvin and are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BD | $48,089 | $23.12 |
| 2 | Reser's Fine Foods | $47,087 | $22.64 |
| 3 | Fresh Express | $45,580 | $21.91 |
| 4 | Marvin and | $45,400 | $21.83 |
| 5 | Marathon Cheese Corporation | $45,318 | $21.79 |
| 6 | Ball | $44,795 | $21.54 |
| 7 | Conagra Foods | $44,409 | $21.35 |
| 8 | Mary's Gone Crackers | $44,182 | $21.24 |
| 9 | US Foods | $43,747 | $21.03 |
| 10 | Schreiber Foods | $43,698 | $21.01 |
| 11 | Passport Foods | $43,523 | $20.92 |
| 12 | Talking Rain | $43,418 | $20.87 |
| 13 | Thermo Fisher Scientific | $43,233 | $20.79 |
| 14 | PPG | $43,185 | $20.76 |
| 15 | Bernatello's Foods | $43,157 | $20.75 |
| 16 | Mars | $42,965 | $20.66 |
| 17 | Hearthside Food Solutions | $42,886 | $20.62 |
| 18 | PepsiCo | $42,815 | $20.58 |
| 19 | Cargill | $42,777 | $20.57 |
| 20 | American Woodmark | $42,743 | $20.55 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Forklift Driver salary by industry
The average forklift driver salary varies across industries:
- The average forklift driver salary in the manufacturing industry is $38,078, the highest of any industry.
- The average forklift driver salary in the finance industry is $37,130.
- Forklift drivers in the professional industry earn an average salary of $33,529, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for forklift drivers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $38,078 | $18.31 |
| 2 | Automotive | $37,130 | $17.85 |
| 3 | Retail | $36,925 | $17.75 |
| 4 | Transportation | $35,486 | $17.06 |
| 5 | Professional | $33,529 | $16.12 |
High paying forklift driver jobs
Forklift driver salary trends
The average forklift driver salary has risen by $6,729 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average forklift driver earned $26,747 annually, but today, they earn $33,476 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for forklift drivers over the last decade.
Compare forklift driver salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average forklift driver salary over time
Compare forklift driver salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Forklift driver salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $33,500 | $16.09 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $32,300 | $15.51 | +4.0% |
| 2023 | $31,000 | $14.89 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | $30,000 | $14.41 | +3.5% |
| 2021 | $28,900 | $13.91 | +1.1% |
Recently added forklift driver salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Logistics Holdings | Forklift Driver/Switcher | Albany, MO | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| Universal Logistics Holdings | Forklift Driver 3Rd Shift Stonebridge | Roanoke, IN | 06/29/2025 | $39,653 |
| Bolthouse Farms Inc. | Forklift Driver WA-Cello-Shift 1 | Prosser, WA | 06/29/2025 | $39,173 |
| Custom Assembly Inc. | Forklift Driver 2Nd Shift | Haviland, OH | 06/29/2025 | $39,653 |
| Coupang | Forklift Driver-All Shifts | Riverside, CA | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| Empire Packing | 1St. Shift-Forklift Driver/Warehouse Tech . | Mason, OH | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| Caleres | Forklift Driver B | Chino, CA | 06/28/2025 | $43,827 |
| Crown Holdings Inc. | Forklift Driver/Operator | Nichols, NY | 06/28/2025 | $48,481 |
| Five Below | 1St. Shift High Reach Forklift Driver | Pedricktown, NJ | 06/28/2025 | $42,784 |
| General Mills, Inc. | Forklift Driver | Belvidere, IL | 06/28/2025 | $42,575 |
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