Forklift Operator Salary
Official ONS earnings for the UK, covering 19,000 jobs.
Median salary
£31,016
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 9.5% change on the previous year
Full-time only
£31,279
Mean
£32,288
Jobs measured
19,000
What a typical forklift operator takes home
On the median of £31,016, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,154
Take-home a year
£25,851
Income Tax
£3,689
National Insurance
£1,476
What most forklift operators actually earn
Half of forklift operators earn between £26,467 and £38,799. Earning above £38,799 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of forklift operators earn less than this.
Forklift Operator salary by region
8 of 11 GB regions have a published figure for this occupation.
| Region | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| South West | £40,846 | £45,678 |
| Scotland | £34,800 | £35,393 |
| South East | £33,998 | £34,911 |
| North West | £29,736 | £31,481 |
| East | £29,558 | £30,270 |
| West Midlands | £26,624 | £28,983 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £26,384 | £28,709 |
| East Midlands | £25,685 | £28,155 |
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Fork-lift truck drivers
- SOC 2020 code
- 8222
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Forklift Operator salary FAQs
What is the average Forklift Operator salary in the UK?
The median is £31,016 a year and the mean is £32,288, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; full-time employees alone have a median of £31,279.
How much does a forklift operator earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £14.76 excluding overtime. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only.
What is a good Forklift Operator salary?
Half of forklift operators earn between £26,467 and £38,799. Anything above £38,799 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a forklift operator?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of forklift operators earn under £23,761 and the lowest quarter under £26,467 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Has forklift operator pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +9.5% for this occupation in the UK. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many forklift operators are there in the UK?
ASHE counts around 19,000 employee jobs in “Fork-lift truck drivers” (SOC 8222) in the UK. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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