How To Become A Cherry Picker Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a cherry picker operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

In warehousing, the term cherry-picking refers to the process of selecting specific items from an inventory. Cherry picker operators are the ones responsible for operating motorized lift vehicles and obtaining customer-based products from shelves, ensuring that they operate machines safely and that customer orders are complete every time.

Apart from the actual cherry-picking, cherry picker operators may also be responsible for operating and maintaining pallet jacks, forklifts, and other warehouse machinery. They are also typically responsible for checking documents to ensure their completeness and accuracy before orders are delivered.

An aspiring cherry picker operator needs to have a high school diploma or GED to qualify for the position. Aside from that, they also need licenses or certifications to operate cherry pickers, forklifts, and other types of warehouse equipment. Experience in a similar role is also a plus, but most employers provide training on the job for those with no formal experience.

The average salary of a cherry picker operator ranges from $25,000 to $31,000 a year, depending on their employer and level of experience.

ScoreCherry Picker OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $33,956

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.3

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.81%

Asian 2.39%

Black or African American 16.35%

Hispanic or Latino 20.63%

Unknown 4.26%

White 55.56%

Gender

female 23.50%

male 76.50%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

8.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a cherry picker operator

Explore cherry picker operator education requirements

Most common cherry picker operator degrees

High School Diploma

61.8 %

Diploma

16.7 %

Associate

10.1 %

Start to develop specific cherry picker operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Cherry-Picker	36.32%
Pallets	10.77%
RF Scanner	10.39%
Electric Pallet Jack	6.30%
Cherry Pickers	5.95%

Complete relevant cherry picker operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New cherry picker operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a cherry picker operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real cherry picker operator resumes.

Research cherry picker operator duties and responsibilities

Order selector, replenish, loader
Pick parts using scan handgunHelp QC pack parts into box
Order selector fork lift operator shipping and receiving whole sale foods
Collect and deliver pallets of inventory to other stations.

Prepare your cherry picker operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your cherry picker operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a cherry picker operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable cherry picker operator resume templates

Build a professional cherry picker operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your cherry picker operator resume.