Hi lift operator vs lift truck operator

The differences between hi lift operators and lift truck 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 hi lift operator and a lift truck operator. Additionally, a lift truck operator has an average salary of $36,973, which is higher than the $35,931 average annual salary of a hi lift operator.

The top three skills for a hi lift operator include pallets, operate hi-lo and SIT. The most important skills for a lift truck operator are pallets, safety procedures, and load trailers.

Hi lift operator vs lift truck operator overview

	Hi Lift Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$35,931	$36,973
Hourly rate	$17.27	$17.78
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	42,577	103,337
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 58%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Hi lift operator vs lift truck operator salary

Hi lift operators and lift truck operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Hi Lift Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Average salary	$35,931	$36,973
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $43,000	Between $29,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	-	Springfield, OR
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Nestlé
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between hi lift operator and lift truck operator education

There are a few differences between a hi lift operator and a lift truck operator in terms of educational background:

	Hi Lift Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 58%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	General Studies	Business
Most common college	-	-

Hi lift operator vs lift truck operator demographics

Here are the differences between hi lift operators' and lift truck operators' demographics:

	Hi Lift Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.4% Female, 7.6%	Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 2.1% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 16.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.4% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between hi lift operator and lift truck operator duties and responsibilities

Hi lift operator example responsibilities.

Operate hi-low to transport products from building to dock areas.
Load or unload materials onto or off pallets, skids, or lifting devices.
Drop reserved pallets into empty selection pallets.
Maintain accurate and timely documentation as is required by organization and OSHA.
Move inventory in support of logistics management.

Lift truck operator example responsibilities.

Certify on stand up/sit down forks, clamps, slip sheets and cherry picker
Used WMS system to adjust inventory, either in, out, or amounts.
Perform trailer inspections, loading and unloading inventory, RFT scanner experience, WMS.
Relocate pallets from receiving dock to desire location within warehouse.
Maintain accurate and timely documentation as is required by organization and OSHA.
Load and unload items from machines and dollies.

Hi lift operator vs lift truck operator skills

Common hi lift operator skills

Pallets, 29%
Operate Hi-Lo, 13%
SIT, 8%
Safety Regulations, 7%
Select Cases, 4%
Warehouse Management System, 4%

Common lift truck operator skills

Pallets, 18%
Safety Procedures, 11%
Load Trailers, 6%
AS400, 5%
Electric Pallet Jack, 5%
Forks, 4%

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Transportation Industry
Hi Lift Operator
Hi Lift Operator vs Lift Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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