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The differences between freight associates and freight handlers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a freight handler has an average salary of $35,944, which is higher than the $32,103 average annual salary of a freight associate.
The top three skills for a freight associate include sales floor, cleanliness and customer service. The most important skills for a freight handler are basic math, pallets, and math.
| Freight Associate | Freight Handler | |
| Yearly salary | $32,103 | $35,944 |
| Hourly rate | $15.43 | $17.28 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 6,477 | 67,422 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 54% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
The typical tasks of a freight associate include stocking merchandise on shelves, organizing the sales floor, and providing excellent customer service. Freight associates load and unload trucks and transfer the items from the receiving area to the store. Some of them may operate heavy equipment like forklifts. They may work on the critical functions of equipment for proper maintenance. Also, they maintain the cleanliness of the sales floor and the work area on a regular basis.
A freight handler is responsible for monitoring the distribution and delivery of the freight, unloading and storing materials, and verifying the accurate information of the freight records. Freight handlers inspect the condition and quality of the goods and materials before loading into the distribution trucks for shipment. They also operate various warehouse tools and equipment to transport merchandise from the vehicle to different parts of the facility. A freight handler must be highly organized, especially in checking the correct tagging of items and conducting safety checks.
Freight associates and freight handlers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Freight Associate | Freight Handler | |
| Average salary | $32,103 | $35,944 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $39,000 | Between $28,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Billerica, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | R+L Carriers |
| Best paying industry | - | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a freight associate and a freight handler in terms of educational background:
| Freight Associate | Freight Handler | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 54% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between freight associates' and freight handlers' demographics:
| Freight Associate | Freight Handler | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.0% Female, 25.0% | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 13.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 5.2% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |