01/11/2024
HOW MUCH DO FORKLIFT DRIVERS MAKE?
When collecting job statistics, the U.S. Department of Labor lumps forklift operators in with the operators of all "industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location."
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the median wage for that group of jobs is $18.06 an hour or $37,560 a year.
Websites that collect data on forklift operators alone tend to come up with a lower average. Indeed estimates an average forklift driver salary of $16.12 an hour or $37,609 a year based on over 130,000 salary reports. Glassdoor lists the average forklift operator salary as $33,559 a year based on over 7,000 salary reports. Payscale reports an average of $15.18 a year or $35,612 a year based on just over 2,000 salary reports. Zippia's estimate is the lowest median wage at $13.70 an hour or $28,486 a year.
