Forklift truck operator vs material handler/forklift operator

The differences between forklift truck operators and material handler/forklift 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 forklift truck operator and a material handler/forklift operator. Additionally, a material handler/forklift operator has an average salary of $36,453, which is higher than the $34,558 average annual salary of a forklift truck operator.

The top three skills for a forklift truck operator include pallets, pallet jack and safety rules. The most important skills for a material handler/forklift operator are pallets, safety procedures, and electric pallet jack.

Forklift truck operator vs material handler/forklift operator overview

	Forklift Truck Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Yearly salary	$34,558	$36,453
Hourly rate	$16.61	$17.53
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	92,925	168,379
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 59%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Forklift truck operator vs material handler/forklift operator salary

Forklift truck operators and material handler/forklift operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Forklift Truck Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Average salary	$34,558	$36,453
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $41,000	Between $29,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Allentown, PA	Lakeville, MN
Highest paying state	Alaska	North Dakota
Best paying company	Nestlé	Nestlé
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Automotive

Differences between forklift truck operator and material handler/forklift operator education

There are a few differences between a forklift truck operator and a material handler/forklift operator in terms of educational background:

	Forklift Truck Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Forklift truck operator vs material handler/forklift operator demographics

Here are the differences between forklift truck operators' and material handler/forklift operators' demographics:

	Forklift Truck Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1%	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 15.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.9% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 16.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between forklift truck operator and material handler/forklift operator duties and responsibilities

Forklift truck operator example responsibilities.

Transfer goods to and from different departments, organize and arrange empty pallets, and maintain baler and central vacuuming system.
Maintain accurate and timely documentation as is required by organization and OSHA.
Load and unload items from machines and dollies.

Material handler/forklift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Train in all aspects of warehousing, shipping, receiving using WMS.
Receive parts from the manufacturers and scan parts into the inventory using warehouse management system (WMS).
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Determine require pallet count to meet the statistical receiving requirements.
Operate tools (hand truck, fork lift, dollies, hand jack), distribute materials to their designate departments.

Forklift truck operator vs material handler/forklift operator skills

Common forklift truck operator skills

Pallets, 20%
Pallet Jack, 8%
Safety Rules, 7%
Clamp Truck, 7%
Production Lines, 6%
Load Trucks, 6%

Common material handler/forklift operator skills

Pallets, 19%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Electric Pallet Jack, 10%
Forklift Operation, 7%
RF Scanner, 6%
Assembly Line, 4%

Forklift Truck Operator vs. similar jobs

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Transportation Industry
Forklift Truck Operator
Forklift Truck Operator vs Material Handler/Forklift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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