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The differences between certified forklift drivers and material handlers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a material handler has an average salary of $33,215, which is higher than the $32,915 average annual salary of a certified forklift driver.
The top three skills for a certified forklift driver include pallets, safety procedures and pallet jack. The most important skills for a material handler are pallets, basic math, and forklifts.
| Certified Forklift Driver | Material Handler | |
| Yearly salary | $32,915 | $33,215 |
| Hourly rate | $15.82 | $15.97 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 115,640 | 174,068 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 55% | High School Diploma, 51% |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
Certified forklift drivers and material handlers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Certified Forklift Driver | Material Handler | |
| Average salary | $32,915 | $33,215 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $40,000 | Between $26,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Minneapolis, MN |
| Highest paying state | - | Minnesota |
| Best paying company | - | Battelle |
| Best paying industry | - | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a certified forklift driver and a material handler in terms of educational background:
| Certified Forklift Driver | Material Handler | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 55% | High School Diploma, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between certified forklift drivers' and material handlers' demographics:
| Certified Forklift Driver | Material Handler | |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% | Male, 77.6% Female, 22.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 16.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 2.4% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 13.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 5.6% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |