What are the main factors that influence a Material Handler Forklift's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Material Handler Forklift's salary?

A Material Handler Forklift's salary grows with experience: a Materials Handler I (0-1 years)earns $37,383, a Material Handler Forklift (1-3 years)earns $41,686, a Materials Handler III (3-5 years)earns $47,041, a Materials Handling Supervisor (5+ years)earns $77,604,

What are the highest paying states for a Material Handler Forklift?

Material Handler Forklift salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Material Handler Forklift roles are District of Columbia $46,524, California $46,348, Massachusetts $45,730. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Material Handler Forklift roles make?

Salaries for Material Handler Forklift level roles vary by specialization: Forklift/Jack Materials Handler III: $46,700; Forklift Operator/Materials Handler: $42,760; Freight Handler Forklift Operator: $42,445; Forklift/Jack Materials Handler II: $41,400; Material Handler: $40,708.

How do different companies affect a Material Handler Forklift's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Material Handler Forklift roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Material Handler Forklift Salary in the United States

How much does a Material Handler Forklift make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Material Handler Forklift in the United States is $42,020 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $20.

However, a Material Handler Forklift's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $50,705
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $39,077 to $46,566
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $36,398

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Material Handler Forklift Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$46,566	$3,880	$895	$22
Average	$42,020	$3,502	$808	$20
25th Percentile	$39,077	$3,256	$751	$19

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Material Handler

Professional Placement Services - Clinton, OH

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Momentive Technologies - Hebron, OH

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Indotronix International Corporation - Zanesville, OH

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Nesco Resource - Wickliffe, OH

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Key Factors That Influence Material Handler Forklift Salaries

A Material Handler Forklift's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Material Handler Forklift Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Material Handler Forklifts. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $46,524.
California: $46,348.
Massachusetts: $45,730.

District of Columbia $46,524

California $46,348

Massachusetts $45,730

Washington $45,562

New Jersey $45,545

Alaska $45,487

Connecticut $44,907

New York $44,671

Hawaii $43,919

Rhode Island $43,566

Maryland $43,327

Minnesota $42,999

Colorado $42,873

Illinois $42,831

Oregon $42,671

Delaware $42,554

New Hampshire $42,480

Virginia $42,314

Pennsylvania $41,831

Nevada $41,587

North Dakota $41,507

Michigan $41,381

Wisconsin $41,335

Vermont $41,243

Texas $40,986

Maine $40,969

Arizona $40,944

Ohio $40,915

Georgia $40,528

Indiana $40,335

Wyoming $40,297

Utah $40,238

Iowa $40,213

Kansas $40,011

Louisiana $39,953

North Carolina $39,932

Missouri $39,923

Florida $39,759

Montana $39,671

Nebraska $39,587

Kentucky $39,541

South Carolina $39,373

Tennessee $39,268

Idaho $39,226

New Mexico $38,919

Oklahoma $38,852

Alabama $38,604

South Dakota $38,188

Arkansas $37,961

West Virginia $37,839

Mississippi $37,473

Top Paying Cities for Material Handler Forklifts

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $53,000
San Francisco: $52,419
Oakland: $51,315

San Jose, CA $53,000

San Francisco, CA $52,419

Oakland, CA $51,315

New York, NY $48,381

Paramus, NJ $47,793

Queens Village, NY $47,791

Passaic, NJ $47,751

Bergenfield, NJ $47,747

Stamford, CT $47,655

Huntington, NY $47,638

Newark, NJ $47,327

Bridgeport, CT $47,238

Vallejo, CA $47,155

New Brunswick, NJ $47,138

Petaluma, CA $47,113

Middlesex, NJ $47,033

Somerset, NJ $47,003

Santa Cruz, CA $46,949

Boston, MA $46,693

Monterey, CA $46,545

Seattle, WA $46,449

Santa Rosa, CA $46,440

Los Angeles, CA $46,428

Juneau, AK $46,319

Washington, DC $46,272

Orange, CA $46,123

Santa Ana, CA $46,012

Long Beach, CA $45,970

Anaheim, CA $45,961

Anchorage, AK $45,940

Santa Maria, CA $45,814

Everett, WA $45,806

Danbury, CT $45,658

Bremerton, WA $45,600

Tacoma, WA $45,449

New Suffolk, NY $45,448

Sacramento, CA $45,436

Santa Barbara, CA $45,390

Trenton, NJ $45,344

San Diego, CA $45,344

Brockton, MA $45,297

Fairbanks, AK $45,195

Lompoc, CA $45,087

Lowell, MA $45,053

Ventura, CA $45,045

Nashua, NH $45,037

Stockton, CA $45,033

Modesto, CA $44,726

Poughkeepsie, NY $44,634

Olympia, WA $44,554

Kennewick, WA $44,554

New Haven, CT $44,537

Lawrence, MA $44,386

Hartford, CT $44,344

Riverside, CA $44,335

New Bedford, MA $44,293

Richland, WA $44,293

Bakersfield, CA $44,234

San Bernardino, CA $44,218

New Britain, CT $44,213

Atlantic City, NJ $44,213

New London, CT $44,197

Norwich, CT $44,184

Portsmouth, NH $44,176

Boulder, CO $44,086

Portland, OR $44,028

Worcester, MA $44,024

Minneapolis, MN $43,894

Philadelphia, PA $43,835

Honolulu, HI $43,696

Saint Paul, MN $43,676

Vineland, NJ $43,667

Providence, RI $43,545

Chicago, IL $43,423

Bellingham, WA $43,373

Springfield, MA $43,339

Baltimore, MD $43,327

Chico, CA $43,222

Pittsfield, MA $43,108

Manchester, NH $43,028

Spokane, WA $42,843

Denver, CO $42,839

Albany, NY $42,642

Troy, NY $42,625

Nassau, NY $42,580

Schenectady, NY $42,537

Wilmington, DE $42,503

Burlington, VT $42,444

Salem, OR $42,427

Portland, ME $42,297

Yakima, WA $42,255

Rochester, MN $42,125

Reno, NV $42,104

Fresno, CA $42,104

Milwaukee, WI $42,066

Detroit, MI $42,024

Ann Arbor, MI $42,017

Allentown, PA $42,011

Colorado Springs, CO $41,940

Syracuse, NY $41,919

Carson City, NV $41,919

Houston, TX $41,860

Eugene, OR $41,839

Gary, IN $41,789

Springfield, OR $41,755

Bismarck, ND $41,747

Galveston, TX $41,717

Medford, OR $41,654

Fort Collins, CO $41,638

Concord, NH $41,617

Austin, TX $41,604

Mesa, AZ $41,516

Reading, PA $41,511

Phoenix, AZ $41,507

Dallas, TX $41,495

Saint Cloud, MN $41,454

Madison, WI $41,398

Utica, NY $41,285

Rochester, NY $41,217

Des Moines, IA $41,213

Raleigh, NC $41,209

Atlanta, GA $41,146

Battle Creek, MI $41,133

Salt Lake City, UT $41,121

Lancaster, PA $41,058

Harrisburg, PA $40,999

Kansas City, MO $40,957

Champaign, IL $40,948

Kansas City, KS $40,948

Fort Worth, TX $40,944

Columbus, OH $40,937

Boca Raton, FL $40,927

Pittsburgh, PA $40,911

Richmond, VA $40,894

Indianapolis, IN $40,885

Cleveland, OH $40,881

Las Vegas, NV $40,831

Cincinnati, OH $40,831

Petersburg, VA $40,768

Huntsville, AL $40,705

Lansing, MI $40,677

Lebanon, PA $40,671

Pueblo, CO $40,667

Appleton, WI $40,654

Buffalo, NY $40,637

Dayton, OH $40,625

Racine, WI $40,616

Charlotte, NC $40,612

Saint Louis, MO $40,600

York, PA $40,574

Elkhart, IN $40,574

Gastonia, NC $40,566

Billings, MT $40,556

Beaumont, TX $40,545

Lorain, OH $40,537

Benton Harbor, MI $40,528

Toledo, OH $40,520

Binghamton, NY $40,499

Rock Hill, SC $40,495

Rockford, IL $40,474

Springfield, IL $40,457

Elyria, OH $40,453

Fargo, ND $40,453

Flagstaff, AZ $40,423

Fort Lauderdale, FL $40,398

Duluth, MN $40,373

Miami, FL $40,373

Cheyenne, WY $40,343

Grand Forks, ND $40,343

Bangor, ME $40,251

Cedar Rapids, IA $40,205

Durham, NC $40,187

Louisville, KY $40,184

Grand Rapids, MI $40,175

Hialeah, FL $40,171

Casper, WY $40,112

Scranton, PA $40,062

New Orleans, LA $40,049

Virginia Beach, VA $40,045

Akron, OH $40,024

Peoria, IL $39,969

Sarasota, FL $39,961

Nashville, TN $39,932

Omaha, NE $39,932

Green Bay, WI $39,932

Baton Rouge, LA $39,911

Charleston, SC $39,902

Jamestown, NY $39,881

Davenport, IA $39,881

Tucson, AZ $39,860

Saint Petersburg, FL $39,835

Tampa, FL $39,826

Evansville, IN $39,801

Port Arthur, TX $39,801

Bradenton, FL $39,784

Santa Fe, NM $39,709

Orlando, FL $39,633

Clearwater, FL $39,621

Canton, OH $39,532

La Crosse, WI $39,532

Albuquerque, NM $39,507

Newport News, VA $39,503

High Point, NC $39,490

Ogden, UT $39,473

Corpus Christi, TX $39,440

Norfolk, VA $39,415

Laramie, WY $39,415

Rock Island, IL $39,389

Saginaw, MI $39,381

Jacksonville, FL $39,377

Salisbury, NC $39,368

Boise, ID $39,360

Moline, IL $39,339

Fort Myers, FL $39,326

Memphis, TN $39,318

Tulsa, OK $39,297

Waterloo, IA $39,272

Spartanburg, SC $39,230

Lincoln, NE $39,209

Fort Wayne, IN $39,200

Provo, UT $39,196

Cedar Falls, IA $39,146

San Antonio, TX $39,129

Greensboro, NC $39,112

South Bend, IN $39,108

Savannah, GA $39,062

Muskegon, MI $39,045

Birmingham, AL $39,041

Winston Salem, NC $39,020

Lake Charles, LA $38,919

Anderson, IN $38,910

Lexington, KY $38,898

Augusta, GA $38,885

Greenville, SC $38,885

Lima, OH $38,852

Wichita, KS $38,847

Tuscaloosa, AL $38,847

Columbia, SC $38,810

Springfield, OH $38,801

Asheville, NC $38,734

Bloomington, IN $38,705

Knoxville, TN $38,553

Shreveport, LA $38,549

Wilmington, NC $38,494

Roanoke, VA $38,494

Topeka, KS $38,419

Frankfort, KY $38,414

Oklahoma City, OK $38,385

Chillicothe, OH $38,368

Longview, TX $38,364

Melbourne, FL $38,360

Sioux Falls, SD $38,293

Mobile, AL $38,289

Terre Haute, IN $38,272

Altoona, PA $38,247

Amarillo, TX $38,217

Killeen, TX $38,204

Fayetteville, AR $38,171

Chattanooga, TN $38,158

Sioux City, IA $38,120

Idaho Falls, ID $38,112

Lynchburg, VA $38,078

Gainesville, FL $38,024

Portsmouth, OH $38,003

Little Rock, AR $37,994

Lafayette, LA $37,978

Youngstown, OH $37,978

Daytona Beach, FL $37,952

Clarksville, TN $37,948

Pensacola, FL $37,944

Temple, TX $37,941

Hopkinsville, KY $37,818

Erie, PA $37,810

Florence, SC $37,793

Charleston, WV $37,725

Great Falls, MT $37,704

Macon, GA $37,646

Tallahassee, FL $37,641

Fayetteville, NC $37,633

Waco, TX $37,625

Helena, MT $37,595

Pine Bluff, AR $37,579

Vincennes, IN $37,528

Lubbock, TX $37,511

Alamogordo, NM $37,486

Twin Falls, ID $37,448

Rapid City, SD $37,436

Jackson, MS $37,360

Huntington, WV $37,357

Greenville, MS $37,356

Parkersburg, WV $37,313

Montgomery, AL $37,305

Wichita Falls, TX $37,263

Springfield, MO $37,263

Biloxi, MS $37,242

Monroe, LA $37,200

Johnstown, PA $37,171

Sumter, SC $37,154

Columbus, GA $37,150

Pascagoula, MS $37,070

Abilene, TX $37,070

Kingsport, TN $36,961

Albany, GA $36,961

Gulfport, MS $36,948

Alexandria, LA $36,809

Fort Smith, AR $36,704

El Paso, TX $36,591

Las Cruces, NM $36,402

Harlingen, TX $36,295

Pocatello, ID $36,288

Florence, AL $36,234

Brownsville, TX $36,225

Mcallen, TX $36,137

Dothan, AL $36,078

Columbus, MS $35,829

Altus, OK $35,633

Lawton, OK $35,553

Pierre, SD $35,402

What Skills Can Increase a Material Handler Forklift's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Customer Service (Mentioned in 6.83% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Housekeeping (Mentioned in 3.86% Job Postings): Housekeeping department is keeping the venue clean and sanitary as part of customer service. Cleaners vacuum rugs and furniture in hallways, rooms and public areas. They collect trash and empty wastebaskets, change the sheets and make the beds.
Warehouse Management (Mentioned in 1.82% Job Postings): Planning, arranging, and organizing goods and materials for the daily operation of a warehouse.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Customer Service	6.83%
Housekeeping	3.86%
Warehouse Management	1.82%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Material Handler Forklift's salary.

Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Scheduling: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Presentation	$45,802	9%
Collaboration	$44,121	5%
Scheduling	$43,701	4%
Standard Operating Procedures	$43,701	4%
Leadership	$43,701	4%
Dedication	$43,280	3%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Material Handler Forklift's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Material Handler Forklifts enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Material Handler Forklift with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $40,284 and $42,760).

Material Handler Forklift Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Material Handler Forklift

No Diploma 7.5%

High School 60.0%

Associates 25.0%

Bachelors 7.5%

Masters 0.0%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	7.5%
High School	60.0%
Associates	25.0%
Bachelors	7.5%
Masters	0.0%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Material Handler Forklift Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Material Handler Forklift's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

$39,077

Average $42,020/year

$46,566

$3,256

Average $3,502/month

$3,880

$751

Average $808/week

$895

$19

Average $20/hour

$22

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$46,566	$3,880	$895	$22
Average	$42,020	$3,502	$808	$20
25th Percentile	$39,077	$3,256	$751	$19

Salaries of jobs related to Material Handler Forklift

Salary Trends for Material Handler Forklift

Salaries for a Material Handler Forklift can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $44,930 in 2023 to around $44,589 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Material Handler Forklift salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Material Handler Forklift Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$44,930

2024

$44,891

2025

$44,589

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$44,930
2024	$44,891
2025	$44,589
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Material Handler Forklift

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Healthcare

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