Roanoke, VA labor market
Is your site paying the market — or paying for turnover?
We benchmark Roanoke-area wages for warehouse, forklift, production, and lead roles — and we’ll walk your site, shift by shift, for free. The data below is the proof; the analysis is the offer.
The free site analysis: a Roanoke workforce specialist reviews your roles, shifts, pay positioning, and fill history against the local market — and leaves you the numbers whether or not you ever use us.
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2026 hourly wage benchmarks — Roanoke, VA.
What light-industrial roles are commanding in this market right now. If your rates sit below the median, that gap is usually where the no-shows and early quits come from.
| Role | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| General warehouse / picker-packer | $15.50 | $16.50 | $20 |
| Forklift / reach truck | $17.45 | $18.72 | $21 |
| Production / assembly | $15 | $18 | $20 |
| Machine operator | $15.40 | $18 | $19 |
| General labor | $15 | $16 | $18 |
| Shift lead / line lead | $20 | $23 | $26 |
Source: 974 actual Lingo Staffing placements in the Roanoke, VA area, drawn from our own placement records. These are the hourly rates employers in this market are really paying — not survey estimates. Rates move with shift, certification, and volume; confirm current rates with our local team before contracting. Rows not covered by our own placement sample (Shift lead / line lead) remain BLS-benchmarked estimates.
What’s moving the Roanoke market.
The valley builds Mack’s medium-duty trucks — transportation manufacturing employs thousands across the region.
I-81 freight-corridor distribution keeps warehouse demand steady year-round.
Power-transformer production and one of the country’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottlers anchor the manufacturing base.
A tighter regional pool — strong candidates don’t stay available long.
The 8-Hour Guarantee
If an associate isn’t working out in their first 8 hours, you are not billed for that time — we still pay them, and we put a replacement on your next shift.
Get the analysis. Keep the numbers.
Or skip straight to staffing: tell us the roles and shifts, and we’ll build the crew.