Fork truck operator vs line operator

The differences between fork truck operators and line operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a line operator has an average salary of $34,520, which is higher than the $32,272 average annual salary of a fork truck operator.

The top three skills for a fork truck operator include pallets, safety procedures and load trucks. The most important skills for a line operator are preventative maintenance, PPE, and basic math.

Fork truck operator vs line operator overview

	Fork Truck Operator	Line Operator
Yearly salary	$32,272	$34,520
Hourly rate	$15.52	$16.60
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	117,624	137,127
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	43	44
Years of experience	4	-

Fork truck operator vs line operator salary

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

	Fork Truck Operator	Line Operator
Average salary	$32,272	$34,520
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $39,000	Between $27,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Grand Forks, ND	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	Alaska	North Dakota
Best paying company	Seneca Foods	BD
Best paying industry	Finance	Manufacturing

Differences between fork truck operator and line operator education

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

	Fork Truck Operator	Line Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Fork truck operator vs line operator demographics

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

	Fork Truck Operator	Line Operator
Average age	43	44
Gender ratio	Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%	Male, 67.6% Female, 32.4%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	4%	5%

Differences between fork truck operator and line operator duties and responsibilities

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.

Line operator example responsibilities.

Follow safety procedures, including but not limit to, wearing proper PPE, lock-out/tag-out, and HAZMAT.
Weld various models of Honda car seats.
Operate foam line for assembly of Toyota Tacoma car seats.
Work the assembly line building car door frames for Chrysler.
Work in high volume production setting, sewing seat covers for Toyota vehicles.
Wear all PPE while manually draining and cleaning of all dip tanks and stations after shift or when production quality lessen.

Fork truck operator vs line operator skills

Common fork truck operator skills

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

Common line operator skills

Preventative Maintenance, 12%
PPE, 9%
Basic Math, 9%
Extrusion, 8%
Quality Checks, 7%
Assembly Line, 5%

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Transportation Industry
Fork Truck Operator
Fork Truck Operator vs Line Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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