How To Become A Forklift: What It Is and Career Path

What is a forklift and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Forklift operators mainly work out of sight. Although they merely work backstage and out of the limelight, their job is extremely crucial when it comes to managing, moving, and transporting heavy loads from one place to another. As a forklift operator, you will manage, move, and identify required stocks and loads.

Some of the duties and responsibilities that you will be performing in this capacity include unloading materials and merchandise from incoming vehicles and stacking them in their assigned designations. Moreover, you will also locate and move stock, identify damages and report shortage or quality deficiencies, transport raw materials, inspect machinery, keeping records of inventory, comply with the company's policies and guidelines, and help maintain a safe and orderly work environment. Essential skills required for this job are communication, physical stamina, hand-eye coordination, and attention to detail.

There are no formal educational requirements needed for this role; however, having a high school diploma or a GED may prove beneficial. Moreover, the technical know-how of a forklift is extremely crucial for this job. Valid certification for forklift operation is also needed. The average hourly pay for this position is $13.64, which amounts to $28,378 annually.

ScoreForkliftUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $32,015

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.3

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.82%

Asian 2.46%

Black or African American 16.36%

Hispanic or Latino 18.21%

Unknown 4.36%

White 57.78%

Gender

female 7.99%

male 92.01%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

8.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a forklift

Explore forklift education requirements

Most common forklift degrees

High School Diploma

58.1 %

Diploma

23.3 %

Associate

7.2 %

Start to develop specific forklift skills

Skills	Percentages
Pallets	21.48%
Sit-Down Forklift	10.36%
Basic Math	7.04%
Shipping Receiving	5.21%
RF Scanner	4.49%

Complete relevant forklift training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New forklifts learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a forklift based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real forklift resumes.

Research forklift duties and responsibilities

Provide a safe work environment following all company policy and OSHA safety procedures.
Clean and maintain the warehouse in compliance with OSHA safety has their period operate forklifts and other heavy machinery safely.
Prepare pallets by following procedures for stacking arrangement and properly tagging pallets.
Operate forklifts, lift beams, swivel-hooks and hoists.

Prepare your forklift resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your forklift resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a forklift resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable forklift resume templates

Build a professional forklift resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your forklift resume.