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The differences between freight associates and material handlers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a material handler has an average salary of $33,215, 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 material handler are pallets, basic math, and forklifts.
| Freight Associate | Material Handler | |
| Yearly salary | $32,103 | $33,215 |
| Hourly rate | $15.43 | $15.97 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 6,477 | 174,068 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 51% |
| 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.
Material handlers are responsible for moving products, storing items, and managing supplies to proper shelf categories. A material handler also documents deliveries and ensures that all items for shipment are correct and free of any damage. Material handlers must also be a fast-learner to operate various warehouse equipment that would make the task more efficient and less time-consuming. A material handler must also check all the incoming deliveries to validate all purchases made. Material handlers must be able to analyze sheet orders and prepare the correct merchandise the client needs.
Freight associates and material handlers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Freight Associate | Material Handler | |
| Average salary | $32,103 | $33,215 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $39,000 | Between $26,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Minneapolis, MN |
| Highest paying state | - | Minnesota |
| Best paying company | - | Battelle |
| Best paying industry | - | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a freight associate and a material handler in terms of educational background:
| Freight Associate | Material Handler | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between freight associates' and material handlers' demographics:
| Freight Associate | Material Handler | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.0% Female, 25.0% | Male, 77.6% Female, 22.4% |
| 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, 13.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 5.6% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |