Forklift truck operator vs mill operator

The differences between forklift truck operators and mill 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 mill operator. Additionally, a mill operator has an average salary of $39,045, 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 mill operator are CNC, OSHA, and math.

Forklift truck operator vs mill operator overview

	Forklift Truck Operator	Mill Operator
Yearly salary	$34,558	$39,045
Hourly rate	$16.61	$18.77
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	92,925	64,574
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Forklift truck operator vs mill operator salary

Forklift truck operators and mill operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Forklift Truck Operator	Mill Operator
Average salary	$34,558	$39,045
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $41,000	Between $31,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Allentown, PA	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Nestlé	Freeport-McMoRan
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Construction

Differences between forklift truck operator and mill operator education

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

	Forklift Truck Operator	Mill Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Forklift truck operator vs mill operator demographics

Here are the differences between forklift truck operators' and mill operators' demographics:

	Forklift Truck Operator	Mill Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1%	Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5%
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, 14.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 2.4% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between forklift truck operator and mill 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.

Mill operator example responsibilities.

Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Perform all work in respirator and other proper PPE.
Skil at training other machinists on CNC machines in this shop.
Assemble parts, operate CNC lathe and mills and adjust off sets.
Perform QC testing on products, filing paperwork per company and ISO standards.
Rebuild Rotex sifters, fabricate and replace screens, replace shoes and anvils in impact mills.

Forklift truck operator vs mill 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 mill operator skills

CNC, 7%
OSHA, 7%
Math, 6%
Calipers, 6%
Hand Tools, 5%
Safety Rules, 5%

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Forklift Truck Operator
Forklift Truck Operator vs Mill Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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