High lift operator vs lift operator

The differences between high lift operators and lift 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 lift operator. Additionally, a high lift operator has an average salary of $34,481, which is higher than the $32,309 average annual salary of a lift operator.

The top three skills for a high lift operator include pallets, OSHA and load trucks. The most important skills for a lift operator are pallets, fork-lift, and electric pallet jack.

High lift operator vs lift operator overview

	High Lift Operator	Lift Operator
Yearly salary	$34,481	$32,309
Hourly rate	$16.58	$15.53
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	44,928	72,445
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

High lift operator vs lift operator salary

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

	High Lift Operator	Lift Operator
Average salary	$34,481	$32,309
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Cleveland, OH	Fremont, CA
Highest paying state	North Dakota	Alaska
Best paying company	United Natural Foods	BD
Best paying industry	Construction	Automotive

Differences between high lift operator and lift operator education

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

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

High lift operator vs lift operator demographics

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

	High Lift Operator	Lift Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7%	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%
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, 15.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 2.6% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between high lift operator and lift 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.

Lift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Use AS400 to take yarn out of inventory.
Load and unload ship cargo using wenches or other hoisting devices.
Check forklift for problems such as fluid levels, tires and forks.
Load and unload trucks with as sit down with slip sheet and double forks attachment practicing a safe environment.
Record inventory and reroute misplaced pallets at rack locations to the correct location

High lift operator vs lift operator skills

Common high lift operator skills

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

Common lift operator skills

Pallets, 17%
Fork-Lift, 14%
Electric Pallet Jack, 10%
Safety Rules, 9%
Power Saws, 4%
Load Trucks, 4%

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Transportation Industry
High Lift Operator
High Lift Operator vs Lift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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