Hazardous materials handler vs freight associate

The differences between hazardous materials handlers and freight associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a hazardous materials handler has an average salary of $32,796, which is higher than the $32,103 average annual salary of a freight associate.

The top three skills for a hazardous materials handler include hazardous waste, non hazardous materials and DOT. The most important skills for a freight associate are sales floor, cleanliness, and customer service.

Hazardous materials handler vs freight associate overview

	Hazardous Materials Handler	Freight Associate
Yearly salary	$32,796	$32,103
Hourly rate	$15.77	$15.43
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	29,787	6,477
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

Hazardous materials handler vs freight associate salary

Hazardous materials handlers and freight associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Hazardous Materials Handler	Freight Associate
Average salary	$32,796	$32,103
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between hazardous materials handler and freight associate education

There are a few differences between a hazardous materials handler and a freight associate in terms of educational background:

	Hazardous Materials Handler	Freight Associate
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Hazardous materials handler vs freight associate demographics

Here are the differences between hazardous materials handlers' and freight associates' demographics:

	Hazardous Materials Handler	Freight Associate
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5%	Male, 75.0% Female, 25.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 5.3% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	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%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between hazardous materials handler and freight associate duties and responsibilities

Hazardous materials handler example responsibilities.

Manage the logistics of incoming and outgoing shipments
Assess HAZMAT training needs and ensure training for all HAZMAT representatives.
Establish and maintain procedures for receiving, handling, and shipping of HAZMAT.
Distribute production materials to designate locations on assembly lines observing the first-in-first-out (FIFO) inventory control practice.
Thrive in this fast-pace environment requiring memorization, accuracy, and stamina.

Freight associate example responsibilities.

Operate a wide variety of lift equipment.
Work at the MSP airport sorting and loading air containers to assure proper delivery.
Job duties include receiving and unloading freight, pulling pallets to the floor after separating.
Specialize in use of RF equipment to determine sign needs by fixture for particular ad events.
Stack empty CHEP pallets in racks and regular pallets on dock floor at end of shift.
Perform inventory duties with the RF hand scanner, which include research, outs, and rigs.

Hazardous materials handler vs freight associate skills

Common hazardous materials handler skills

Hazardous Waste, 16%
Non Hazardous Materials, 16%
DOT, 16%
Safety Procedures, 13%
Hazmat, 7%
Bucket Loaders, 4%

Common freight associate skills

Sales Floor, 42%
Cleanliness, 42%
Customer Service, 5%
Sort Merchandise, 3%
Store Merchandise, 2%
Math, 1%

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Transportation Industry
Hazardous Materials Handler
Hazardous Materials Handler vs Freight Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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