- The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there were about 568,270 forklift operators in 2009, earning an average wage of about $15.02 per hour, or $31,240 per year. The top 10 percent of forklift operators made an average of about $21.67 per hour, or $45,070 per year, while the lowest 10 percent made about $9.89 per hour, or about $20,570 per year.
- The "warehousing and storage" sector of the industry was the single most common sector for forklift operators in 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with 83,480 forklift workers employed there. These operators made an average salary of about $14.76 per hour, or about $30,700 per year. The second-most-common industry, "building material and supplies dealers" employed about 43,190 workers who earned an average salary of about $12.51 per hour, or about $26,020 per year.
- Forklift operators employed in the "natural gas distribution" sector of the economy earned the highest average salaries out of any industry 2009, making about $30.63 per hour, or about $63,720 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Operators in the second-highest-paying industry, "support activities for water transportation" earned an average wage of about $26.38 per hour, or about $54,860 per year.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the five states with the highest average salaries for forklift operators in 2009 were: the District of Columbia, Alaska, Hawaii, Washington and Rhode Island. Forklift operators in the District of Columbia earned an average wage of $19.84 per hour, or about $41,270 per year, while those in Rhode Island made about $17.24 per hour, or about $35,860 per year.
National Averages
Most Common Industries
Highest-Paying Industries
Geographic Differences
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