Cooler operator vs lift operator

The differences between cooler operators and lift operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a cooler operator and a lift operator. Additionally, a cooler operator has an average salary of $41,007, which is higher than the $32,309 average annual salary of a lift operator.

The top three skills for a cooler operator include pallets, production floor and GMP. The most important skills for a lift operator are pallets, fork-lift, and electric pallet jack.

Cooler operator vs lift operator overview

	Cooler Operator	Lift Operator
Yearly salary	$41,007	$32,309
Hourly rate	$19.71	$15.53
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	42,303	72,445
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 59%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Cooler operator vs lift operator salary

Cooler operators and lift operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cooler Operator	Lift Operator
Average salary	$41,007	$32,309
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $50,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Fremont, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	BD
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between cooler operator and lift operator education

There are a few differences between a cooler operator and a lift operator in terms of educational background:

	Cooler Operator	Lift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 59%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Cooler operator vs lift operator demographics

Here are the differences between cooler operators' and lift operators' demographics:

	Cooler Operator	Lift Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 88.0% Female, 12.0%	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 15.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 2.3% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 15.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 2.6% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between cooler operator and lift operator duties and responsibilities

Cooler operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Maintain soap spraying on tape alignment for lubrication of tape to shingles.
Maintain tape measurement alignment, nail setting, line, headlape and priming for the production fiber glass shingles.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Experience with hand scanners, electric sit down forklifts, electric power pallet jacks, and grinder.
Operate extractors and driers, or direct their operation.

Lift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Use AS400 to take yarn out of inventory.
Load and unload ship cargo using wenches or other hoisting devices.
Check forklift for problems such as fluid levels, tires and forks.
Load and unload trucks with as sit down with slip sheet and double forks attachment practicing a safe environment.
Record inventory and reroute misplaced pallets at rack locations to the correct location

Cooler operator vs lift operator skills

Common cooler operator skills

Pallets, 60%
Production Floor, 26%
GMP, 14%

Common lift operator skills

Pallets, 17%
Fork-Lift, 14%
Electric Pallet Jack, 10%
Safety Rules, 9%
Power Saws, 4%
Load Trucks, 4%

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Transportation Industry
Cooler Operator
Cooler Operator vs Lift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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