Forklift Operator Salary in Los Angeles, CA (2026)
Median in Los Angeles: $22.41/hour ($46,600/year) — level with the national median. Typical range: $40,730–$56,930.
BLS OEWS May 2025 · Los Angeles, CA metro · refreshed 2026-08-25 · Reviewed by Dalton Metzler · U.S. Forklift Operator salary overview
The median Forklift Operator salary in Los Angeles, CA is $22.41/hour ($46,600/year) (level with the national median), with a typical range of $40,730–$56,930. Data from BLS + Jobeezy ghost-filter (2026).
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median | $22.41/hour ($46,600/year) | BLS OEWS May 2025 |
| 25th-75th pct | $40,730–$56,930 | BLS OEWS May 2025 |
| Metro employment | ~22,170 | BLS OEWS May 2025 |
Forklift Operator pay distribution in Los Angeles, CA
National median: $46,420/yr. Los Angeles is level with the national median.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 — Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (SOC 53-7051, Forklift Operator).
What forklift operator pay in Los Angeles really looks like
Los Angeles tracks the national market almost exactly. The local forklift operator median of about $22.41 an hour ($46,600 a year) sits within 0% ($180) of the U.S. median of $46,420, so national salary benchmarks translate cleanly to this metro — the number you have seen quoted nationally is, give or take, what forklift operators actually earn in Los Angeles.
The local range is moderate — $40,730 at the 25th percentile to $56,930 at the 75th (BLS). Half of Los Angeles Forklift Operators earn inside that band, so it is a realistic target window: an offer near $56,930 is genuinely strong for the metro, while anything under $40,730 is worth pushing back on with the BLS figures in hand.
This is a substantial local market: BLS estimates roughly 22,170 forklift operator jobs across the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (a count of metro employment, not a survey of reported salaries). A deep employer base is good news for pay — it means more openings to compare side by side, more turnover creating vacancies, and more leverage to hold out for an employer at the top of the local range instead of settling for the first offer that lands.
Right now, Jobeezy is tracking 24 open forklift operator jobs in Los Angeles against the BLS $46,600 benchmark — the live listings and the employers hiring are below, so you can see which openings actually clear the metro median before you apply.
Put it together and the picture for Los Angeles is concrete: a metro median of $46,600 with most forklift operators landing between $40,730 and $56,930. The practical move is to aim for the upper half of that band. Jobeezy fit-scores local forklift operator openings, surfaces the employers posting toward $56,930, and applies for you — so your time goes to the jobs that clear the Los Angeles median, not the ones that sit under it.
Forklift Operator pay by hour, week, month & year in Los Angeles
| Period | Typical Pay |
|---|---|
| Per hour | $22.41 |
| Per week (40 hrs) | $896 |
| Per month | $3,883 |
| Per year | $46,600 |
How we know this — Los Angeles sources
Wage figures for Forklift Operator in Los Angeles, CA are the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 estimate for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (MSA code 31080) (SOC 53-7051), released 2026-08-25. Suppressed cells are shown as an em dash, never a zero.
Grow your forklift operator pay in Los Angeles
Advancing your pay in Los Angeles comes down to experience, credentials, and how you negotiate. We keep that guidance on the national Forklift Operator guide so it stays current in one place:
Compare Forklift Operator pay in nearby metros
Related roles in Los Angeles
Beyond Forklift Operator · same Los Angeles BLS datasetOther roles hiring in Los Angeles, CA alongside forklift operators, drawn from the same BLS OEWS May 2025 dataset:
- 01Los Angeles · CA · median $135,560Registered Nurse pay in Los Angeles
- 02Los Angeles · CA · median $79,450Sales Representative pay in Los Angeles
- 03Los Angeles · CA · median $125,830Operations Manager pay in Los Angeles
- 04Los Angeles · CA · median $81,730Logistics Coordinator pay in Los Angeles
- 05Los Angeles · CA · median $62,190Warehouse Supervisor pay in Los Angeles
- 06Los Angeles · CA · median $122,980Dental Hygienist pay in Los Angeles
- 07Los Angeles · CA · median $47,760Medical Assistant pay in Los Angeles
- 08Los Angeles · CA · median $73,810Electrician pay in Los Angeles
Forklift Operator pay in Los Angeles, CA — common questions
- How much does a Forklift Operator make in Los Angeles, CA?
- The median Forklift Operator salary in Los Angeles, CA is $22.41/hour ($46,600/year) (level with the national median), with a typical range of $40,730–$56,930 (25th–75th percentile). Figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-08-25.
- Is Los Angeles a strong pay market for Forklift Operators?
- At a $46,600 median, Los Angeles is level with the national median. The U.S. median is $46,420. Jobeezy shows you which local employers actually pay at the top of that band before you apply.
- How can I earn more as a Forklift Operator in Los Angeles?
- Target employers paying toward the $56,930 (75th-percentile) mark and anchor your negotiation to the BLS band. Jobeezy fit-scores Forklift Operator openings in Los Angeles and auto-applies, so you reach more high-paying employers fast.
- How many Forklift Operators work in Los Angeles?
- BLS estimates roughly 22,170 forklift operator jobs across Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (May 2025 metro employment — a count of jobs, not of salaries reported).