Fork operator vs lift truck operator

The differences between fork operators and lift 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 lift truck operator. Additionally, a lift truck operator has an average salary of $36,973, which is higher than the $34,938 average annual salary of a fork operator.

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

Fork operator vs lift truck operator overview

	Fork Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$34,938	$36,973
Hourly rate	$16.80	$17.78
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	54,785	103,337
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Fork operator vs lift truck operator salary

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

	Fork Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Average salary	$34,938	$36,973
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $41,000	Between $29,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	-	Springfield, OR
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Nestlé
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between fork operator and lift truck operator education

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

	Fork Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Fork operator vs lift truck operator demographics

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

	Fork Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8%	Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3%
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, 16.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.4% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between fork operator and lift 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.

Lift truck operator example responsibilities.

Certify on stand up/sit down forks, clamps, slip sheets and cherry picker
Used WMS system to adjust inventory, either in, out, or amounts.
Perform trailer inspections, loading and unloading inventory, RFT scanner experience, WMS.
Relocate pallets from receiving dock to desire location within warehouse.
Maintain accurate and timely documentation as is required by organization and OSHA.
Load and unload items from machines and dollies.

Fork operator vs lift truck operator skills

Common fork operator skills

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

Common lift truck operator skills

Pallets, 18%
Safety Procedures, 11%
Load Trailers, 6%
AS400, 5%
Electric Pallet Jack, 5%
Forks, 4%

Fork Operator vs. similar jobs

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Transportation Industry
Fork Operator
Fork Operator vs Lift Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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