Fork operator vs fork truck operator

The differences between fork operators and fork truck 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 fork operator and a fork truck operator. Additionally, a fork operator has an average salary of $34,938, which is higher than the $32,272 average annual salary of a fork truck operator.

The top three skills for a fork operator include load trucks, pallets and production lines. The most important skills for a fork truck operator are pallets, safety procedures, and load trucks.

Fork operator vs fork truck operator overview

	Fork Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$34,938	$32,272
Hourly rate	$16.80	$15.52
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	54,785	117,624
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Fork operator vs fork truck operator salary

Fork operators and fork truck operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fork Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Average salary	$34,938	$32,272
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $41,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Seneca Foods
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between fork operator and fork truck operator education

There are a few differences between a fork operator and a fork truck operator in terms of educational background:

	Fork Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Fork operator vs fork truck operator demographics

Here are the differences between fork operators' and fork truck operators' demographics:

	Fork Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8%	Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 16.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 3.0% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 1.9% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between fork operator and fork truck operator duties and responsibilities

Fork operator example responsibilities.

Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.

Fork truck operator example responsibilities.

Create and cataloge files for GMP library.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.

Fork operator vs fork truck operator skills

Common fork operator skills

Load Trucks, 26%
Pallets, 22%
Production Lines, 15%
RF, 8%
Safety Rules, 8%
Materials Handling, 4%

Common fork truck operator skills

Pallets, 19%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Load Trucks, 7%
Load Trailers, 6%
Pallet Jack, 6%
Assembly Line, 5%

Fork Operator vs. similar jobs

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Fork Operator related jobs

What similar roles do

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Transportation Industry
Fork Operator
Fork Operator vs Fork Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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