Forklift Operator Jobs and Pay by State and City (BLS 2025 Data)

How much do forklift operators make, and where are the jobs?

Quick answer: In May 2025, the United States had 774,420 industrial truck and tractor operators — the occupation that includes forklift operators — earning a mean wage of $23.25 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS, May 2025). California and Texas have the most of these jobs, and Dallas-Fort Worth is the largest metro area.

Last reviewed: October 2026. Data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, occupation code 53-7051.

Key fact	Value
Occupation	Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators (SOC 53-7051)
National employment	774,420
National mean hourly wage	$23.25
Most jobs (state)	California, 89,620
Most jobs (metro)	Dallas-Fort Worth, 34,650
Highest mean wage in our state list	Colorado, $25.57
Highest mean wage in our metro list	Denver, $26.55
Data date	May 2025
Source	BLS news release; BLS area data

What does the BLS data measure?

The figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. "Industrial truck and tractor operators" (53-7051) covers people who operate industrial trucks or tractors to move materials — forklift operators are the largest group in it. "Employed" is the estimated number of jobs, and "mean hourly wage" is the average across those jobs. These are estimates for May 2025; BLS publishes the methods and margins of error with the data.

We list only figures we pulled from BLS. Where a city is missing (for example San Antonio, El Paso, San Diego, Fresno or Sacramento), it is because we did not verify a figure for it, not because there are no jobs.

Which states have the most forklift operator jobs?

Sorted by employment, for the 20 states we checked (BLS area data):

Rank	State	Employed	Mean hourly wage
1	California	89,620	$24.21
2	Texas	88,780	$21.83
3	Georgia	50,260	$21.67
4	Ohio	42,360	$23.94
5	Pennsylvania	42,110	$23.92
6	Florida	38,400	$23.91
7	Illinois	29,450	$23.82
8	North Carolina	26,830	$21.14
9	Michigan	23,470	$23.49
10	Indiana	23,090	$22.89
11	New Jersey	21,790	$23.70
12	Tennessee	20,070	$21.09
13	Washington	18,750	$25.17
14	New York	18,420	$25.42
15	South Carolina	14,210	$21.64
16	Arizona	12,340	$23.95
17	Missouri	11,470	$23.06
18	Kentucky	11,270	$23.86
19	Colorado	8,570	$25.57
20	Nevada	7,300	$23.59

California and Texas together account for about 178,000 of these jobs — close to a quarter of the national total.

Which states pay forklift operators the most?

The same 20 states, sorted by mean hourly wage:

State	Mean hourly wage
Colorado	$25.57
New York	$25.42
Washington	$25.17
California	$24.21
Arizona	$23.95
Ohio	$23.94
Pennsylvania	$23.92
Florida	$23.91
Kentucky	$23.86
Illinois	$23.82
New Jersey	$23.70
Nevada	$23.59
Michigan	$23.49
Missouri	$23.06
Indiana	$22.89
Texas	$21.83
Georgia	$21.67
South Carolina	$21.64
North Carolina	$21.14
Tennessee	$21.09

In this list, Colorado ($25.57), New York ($25.42) and Washington ($25.17) have the highest means; Tennessee ($21.09) and North Carolina ($21.14) the lowest. These are averages: pay varies by employer, shift and equipment.

Which metro areas have the most forklift operator jobs?

Sorted by employment, for the 25 metro areas we checked (BLS area data):

Rank	Metro area	Employed	Mean hourly wage
1	Dallas-Fort Worth	34,650	$22.92
2	Atlanta	28,750	$22.67
3	New York-Newark-Jersey City	24,720	$25.03
4	Riverside-San Bernardino	24,180	$23.96
5	Chicago	22,320	$24.03
6	Los Angeles	22,170	$23.81
7	Houston	20,910	$21.97
8	Philadelphia	15,670	$24.78
9	Columbus, OH	11,910	$24.55
10	Detroit	10,370	$24.26
11	Phoenix	10,250	$24.36
12	Seattle	10,110	$26.49
13	Indianapolis	9,540	$22.90
14	Miami	9,290	$24.84
15	Charlotte	8,330	$21.24
16	Memphis	7,950	$21.55
17	Cincinnati	6,920	$25.13
18	Kansas City	6,290	$23.69
19	Nashville	6,000	$21.99
20	Orlando	5,780	$23.37
21	Denver	5,410	$26.55
22	Tampa	5,330	$23.91
23	St. Louis	4,980	$24.40
24	Las Vegas	4,400	$23.08
25	Louisville	4,230	$23.52

Riverside-San Bernardino (the Inland Empire) has more of these jobs than the Los Angeles metro, and Atlanta has more than New York-Newark-Jersey City. Denver ($26.55) and Seattle ($26.49) have the highest mean wages in this list.

How does forklift certification fit into hiring?

Under federal OSHA, an employer may not let someone operate a forklift until the employer has trained and evaluated that person, and employers "must certify that each operator has been trained and evaluated" (OSHA eTool). In practice that means:

• Formal instruction can be done before or after hire, and OSHA allows "interactive computer learning" for it. Our online course covers this part for $69.
• Practical training and evaluation must happen with the employer, on the trucks and at the site where the operator will work.
• Certification is issued by the employer. A certificate from a training provider shows you completed formal instruction; it does not replace the employer's evaluation.

Some states add steps. In Michigan, the employer issues a written operator permit (MIOSHA Part 21). In California, the rule is Title 8 §3668. In Washington, L&I says "There is no license requirement for forklift operators" (L&I).

For job seekers, finishing formal instruction in advance lets you tell an employer that only the hands-on evaluation remains. For employers, team seats at $49 for one seat, $45 each for 2–9, $42 for 10–24, $39 for 25–49 or $35 for 50+ per seat let you train a whole crew and keep records in one dashboard.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a forklift operator make per hour?

The national mean wage for industrial truck and tractor operators was $23.25 an hour in May 2025 (BLS).

How many forklift operators are there in the U.S.?

BLS estimated 774,420 industrial truck and tractor operator jobs in May 2025.

Which state has the most forklift jobs?

California, with 89,620, followed closely by Texas with 88,780 (BLS, May 2025).

Which city has the most forklift jobs?

Of the metro areas we checked, Dallas-Fort Worth has the most, at 34,650, followed by Atlanta at 28,750 (BLS, May 2025).

Where do forklift operators earn the most?

In our lists, the Denver metro area ($26.55 an hour) and Colorado statewide ($25.57) have the highest mean wages.

Do I need certification to get a forklift job?

Your employer must train, evaluate and certify you before you operate. Completing formal instruction online first can make that faster. See how to get forklift certified.

Sources

• BLS — Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025 (news release)
• BLS — OEWS area data
• OSHA Powered Industrial Trucks eTool — Training
• MIOSHA Part 21 · Cal/OSHA Title 8 §3668 · Washington L&I F417-031-000

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Last reviewed: October 2026. OSHA Operator is a private online training provider and is not affiliated with OSHA or the U.S. Department of Labor. Our course provides formal instruction; your employer remains responsible for the workplace-specific practical evaluation required by 29 CFR 1910.178(l).