Forklift Operator Salary in California

$23/hr

California forklift employee wage ranges help you compare warehouse, construction and equipment-distribution offers by duties, working conditions and shift schedule.

Change trade or state

What Forklift Operators Earn in California

California employee wages span $18.58–$30.45/hr, or $38,650–$63,330 a year, for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators, including forklift operators. These figures exclude premium pay and benefits. Compare the advertised truck type, loading duties and shift pattern with your experience. The experience labels below describe comparison bands, without creating a state licensing ladder or an automatic pay progression. Ask employers how their wage ranges account for inspections, staging and other assigned tasks.

Hourly rates by level in California

What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$18.58–$20.77/hr
▼ 1.92% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$20.77–$28.06/hr
▼ 1.92% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$28.06–$30.45/hr
▼ 1.92% from last year

Find Forklift Operator jobs in California.

Browse open jobs

Where do you stand?

Enter your hourly rate to see how it compares to other forklift operators in California.

What are you making?

Type your hourly rate. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere — it stays in your browser.

$/ hr

Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.

You're right around the middle

$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.

10th
$18
25th
$23
Median
$29
75th
$36
90th
$45
YOU · $28.00
Your percentile
46th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$58,240
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
−$2,080
Below the median

Calculate pay with extra credentials

Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.

1Your level

2Certifications you hold

3Shift & work type

4Overtime & per diem

Weekly overtime hours8 hrs
Per diem (per day away)$0

An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.

American RecruitsEstimate
Journeyman Forklift Operator
California · Day Shift
Base rate$24.42
+ IUOE Local 12 Operating Engineer Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$6.62
+ Forklift / Rough-Terrain Forklift Operator (formal instruction)$0.78
+ OSHA 10-Hour Construction$0.15
Effective hourly$31.97
Straight · 40 hrs$1,279
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$384
Weekly gross$1,662
Annualised · 50 weeks
$83,109
8 OT hrs/week · California

Who pays the most in California

Warehouse storage, nonresidential building work and machinery distribution offer distinct forklift assignments. Compare these three national sector figures alongside the California employee wage bands.

01 / 03$23.16/hr

Warehousing and Storage

Pallet storage puts operators around racks and loading docks. Ask California warehouse employers how picking, truck loading and shift coverage fit together. Include time spent inspecting equipment and waiting for assigned loads in that discussion.

+ Rack experience
+ Regular routes
– Repeated handling
– Shift changes
02 / 03$28.30/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Building projects involve staging deliveries around other trades. Discuss ground conditions, truck attachments and daily material access with the hiring contractor. Ask whether travel between assigned sites forms part of the working day.

+ Varied loads
+ Construction experience
– Changing access
– Outdoor exposure
03 / 03$21.53/hr

Machinery Equipment Wholesalers

Equipment distributors handle machinery and related supplies. Ask how receiving, load stability and customer collection affect the operator's daily yard duties. Discuss how oversized deliveries change the handling tasks included in an offer.

+ Product knowledge
+ Delivery coordination
– Irregular loads
– Collection peaks

Which states pay forklift operators the most

Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.

  1. 01Californiathis page$22.97/hr
  2. 02Virginia$22.56/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
IUOE Local 12 Operating Engineer Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$6.62$13,770$00 weeks
Forklift / Rough-Terrain Forklift Operator (formal instruction)+$0.78$1,622$602 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$0.46$957$1599 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.15$312$5910 weeks
Aerial/Scissor Lift (MEWP) Operator+$0.04$83$5937 weeks
American Red Cross Adult First Aid/CPR/AED+$0.03$62$10285 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $22.97/hr.

40 hr week
$919
No OT
50 hr week
$1,263
+$17,227/yr
60 hr week
$1,608
+$34,455/yr
70 hr week
$1,952
+$51,682/yr

Questions workers ask

Is required forklift training paid time?▾
Yes. California's Wage Order 9, enforced by the Labor Commissioner, counts time under the employer's control as hours worked. Log employer-required Cal/OSHA training and evaluations as work time.
Does a long loading shift qualify for overtime?▾
Yes, if it passes eight hours in a day or 40 in a week. The Labor Commissioner's overtime rules cover most nonexempt employees, with exceptions for alternative schedules and qualifying agreements. Record required inspections, staging and loading alongside driving.
Does a night shift differential raise my overtime rate?▾
Yes. The Labor Commissioner's overtime guidance includes shift differentials in the regular rate of pay, and overtime is calculated from that rate. Check that your pay stub reflects it.

See Open Forklift Operator Jobs in California

Verified positions matching this trade and location.

See Open JobsBuild My Profile — Free

Current BLS California employee wages for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators, SOC 53-7051; includes forklift operators, excludes premium pay and benefits.

Last updated October 23, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.