High lift operator vs fork truck operator

The differences between high lift operators and fork 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 high lift operator and a fork truck operator. Additionally, a high lift operator has an average salary of $34,481, which is higher than the $32,272 average annual salary of a fork truck operator.

The top three skills for a high lift operator include pallets, OSHA and load trucks. The most important skills for a fork truck operator are pallets, safety procedures, and load trucks.

High lift operator vs fork truck operator overview

	High Lift Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$34,481	$32,272
Hourly rate	$16.58	$15.52
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	44,928	117,624
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

High lift operator vs fork truck operator salary

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

	High Lift Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Average salary	$34,481	$32,272
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Cleveland, OH	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	North Dakota	Alaska
Best paying company	United Natural Foods	Seneca Foods
Best paying industry	Construction	Finance

Differences between high lift operator and fork truck operator education

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

	High Lift Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

High lift operator vs fork truck operator demographics

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

	High Lift Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7%	Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 2.3% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 1.9% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between high lift operator and fork truck operator duties and responsibilities

High lift operator example responsibilities.

Inventory control and making sure wrapped fill pallets are accurately account and labele before exiting the building.
Maintain proper housekeeping and guidelines set forth by OSHA and management.
Operate fork-lift to transport finish product to shipping warehouse for distribution.
Maintain safe and clean work environment by keeping shelves, pallet area, and workstations.
Experience with setting up LTL, FTL, and FedEx/UPS shipments via phone or computer.

Fork truck operator example responsibilities.

Create and cataloge files for GMP library.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.

High lift operator vs fork truck operator skills

Common high lift operator skills

Pallets, 26%
OSHA, 16%
Load Trucks, 15%
Pallet Jack, 15%
Safety Standards, 6%
Store Merchandise, 4%

Common fork truck operator skills

Pallets, 19%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Load Trucks, 7%
Load Trailers, 6%
Pallet Jack, 6%
Assembly Line, 5%

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Transportation Industry
High Lift Operator
High Lift Operator vs Fork Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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