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The differences between forklift drivers and driver/warehouse workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a forklift driver and a driver/warehouse worker. Additionally, a driver/warehouse worker has an average salary of $35,198, which is higher than the $33,476 average annual salary of a forklift driver.
The top three skills for a forklift driver include pallets, electric pallet jack and safety procedures. The most important skills for a driver/warehouse worker are customer service, CDL, and delivery truck.
| Forklift Driver | Driver/Warehouse Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $33,476 | $35,198 |
| Hourly rate | $16.09 | $16.92 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 116,516 | 310,383 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 61% | High School Diploma, 57% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A forklift operator is responsible for managing and operating industrial trucks and machines to ensure its performance safety and stability. Forklift operators' duties include safely handling of deliveries, securely moving items to storage areas, monitoring inventories and supplies, running diagnostic tests, reporting inspected malfunctions and deficiencies, performing basic troubleshooting, and adhering to safety procedures. It is a requirement that a forklift operator must have excellent time-management skills, as well as the ability to multi-task for daily operations.
A driver/warehouse worker is responsible for transporting goods and services from the warehouse or distribution center to specific destinations based on the delivery details. Driver/warehouse workers assist in loading and unloading items from delivery trucks, storing merchandise to the appropriate warehouse areas, operating various warehouse tools and equipment, and inspecting the delivery vehicle for any engine defects that might cause delays. They also check the inventory report to ensure the correct quantity of items and escalate customers' complaints to the warehouse management for immediate resolution, such as product replacement or issuing refunds.
Forklift drivers and driver/warehouse workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forklift Driver | Driver/Warehouse Worker | |
| Average salary | $33,476 | $35,198 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $41,000 | Between $27,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Shakopee, MN | Blaine, MN |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Maryland |
| Best paying company | BD | Baker Distributing |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a forklift driver and a driver/warehouse worker in terms of educational background:
| Forklift Driver | Driver/Warehouse Worker | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 61% | High School Diploma, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between forklift drivers' and driver/warehouse workers' demographics:
| Forklift Driver | Driver/Warehouse Worker | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0% | Male, 93.8% Female, 6.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 15.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 2.5% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 15.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 2.6% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |