Hazardous materials handler vs freight handler

The differences between hazardous materials handlers 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 $32,796 average annual salary of a hazardous materials handler.

The top three skills for a hazardous materials handler include hazardous waste, non hazardous materials and DOT. The most important skills for a freight handler are basic math, pallets, and math.

Hazardous materials handler vs freight handler overview

	Hazardous Materials Handler	Freight Handler
Yearly salary	$32,796	$35,944
Hourly rate	$15.77	$17.28
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	29,787	67,422
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 54%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

Hazardous materials handler vs freight handler salary

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

	Hazardous Materials Handler	Freight Handler
Average salary	$32,796	$35,944
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	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

Differences between hazardous materials handler and freight handler education

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

	Hazardous Materials Handler	Freight Handler
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Hazardous materials handler vs freight handler demographics

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

	Hazardous Materials Handler	Freight Handler
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5%	Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8%
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, 13.6% 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%

Differences between hazardous materials handler and freight handler 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 handler example responsibilities.

Manage temporary staff doing warehouse work and train and test them in order to receive forklift certification per OSHA.
Dock work then get CDL and then go to the road
Work on the dock loading and unloading truck and backup CDL driver.
Ship order via FedEx on a daily basis and perform an inventory and cycle count when need.
Distribute break loads, freight and merchandise on inbound and outbound side of the LTL freight terminal.
Job include handling all types of LTL freight with a forklift while unloading and loading trailers for delivery.

Hazardous materials handler vs freight handler 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 handler skills

Basic Math, 28%
Pallets, 21%
Math, 12%
Hazardous Materials, 10%
Manual Equipment, 7%
Hand Trucks, 3%

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Transportation Industry
Hazardous Materials Handler
Hazardous Materials Handler vs Freight Handler

Updated January 8, 2025

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