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The differences between forklifts and driver/material handlers 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 and a driver/material handler. Additionally, a driver/material handler has an average salary of $36,219, which is higher than the $32,015 average annual salary of a forklift.
The top three skills for a forklift include pallets, sit-down forklift and basic math. The most important skills for a driver/material handler are CDL, customer orders, and inventory control.
| Forklift | Driver/Material Handler | |
| Yearly salary | $32,015 | $36,219 |
| Hourly rate | $15.39 | $17.41 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 113,257 | 198,718 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 58% | High School Diploma, 53% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The primary job of a forklift operator is to operate and manage forklifts used for moving, locating, relocating, stacking, and counting merchandise in various settings, such as construction sites and warehouses. As a forklift operator, you will unload shipments properly and safely, and stack and store them in their designated areas. In addition, you will need to report any quality variances and assist in physical inventories. Other duties that you may perform include ensuring that stock rotation is done properly, inspecting and performing preventative maintenance of forklift and other equipment, and ensuring that inventory security and control are maintained.
Primarily, driver/material handlers help maintain the production and distribution of products through inventory pullout, production materials, and supplies delivery, and finished product staging. Material handlers manage the transport of equipment or ammunition and conduct the planning and execution functions for effective grind force training. They pick and audit hazmat materials and deliver them to their customers. Also, they develop and expedite clear and effective communication with their customers.
Forklifts and driver/material handlers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forklift | Driver/Material Handler | |
| Average salary | $32,015 | $36,219 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $39,000 | Between $28,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Grand Forks, ND | Santa Clara, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Steel Dynamics | Merck |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a forklift and a driver/material handler in terms of educational background:
| Forklift | Driver/Material Handler | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 58% | High School Diploma, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between forklifts' and driver/material handlers' demographics:
| Forklift | Driver/Material Handler | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0% | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 16.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 15.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 2.6% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |