High lift operator vs material handler/forklift operator

The differences between high lift operators and material handler/forklift 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 material handler/forklift operator. Additionally, a material handler/forklift operator has an average salary of $36,453, which is higher than the $34,481 average annual salary of a high lift operator.

The top three skills for a high lift operator include pallets, OSHA and load trucks. The most important skills for a material handler/forklift operator are pallets, safety procedures, and electric pallet jack.

High lift operator vs material handler/forklift operator overview

	High Lift Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Yearly salary	$34,481	$36,453
Hourly rate	$16.58	$17.53
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	44,928	168,379
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 59%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

High lift operator vs material handler/forklift operator salary

High lift operators and material handler/forklift operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	High Lift Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Average salary	$34,481	$36,453
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $40,000	Between $29,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Cleveland, OH	Lakeville, MN
Highest paying state	North Dakota	North Dakota
Best paying company	United Natural Foods	Nestlé
Best paying industry	Construction	Automotive

Differences between high lift operator and material handler/forklift operator education

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

	High Lift Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

High lift operator vs material handler/forklift operator demographics

Here are the differences between high lift operators' and material handler/forklift operators' demographics:

	High Lift Operator	Material Handler/Forklift 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, 16.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between high lift operator and material handler/forklift 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.

Material handler/forklift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Train in all aspects of warehousing, shipping, receiving using WMS.
Receive parts from the manufacturers and scan parts into the inventory using warehouse management system (WMS).
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Determine require pallet count to meet the statistical receiving requirements.
Operate tools (hand truck, fork lift, dollies, hand jack), distribute materials to their designate departments.

High lift operator vs material handler/forklift operator skills

Common high lift operator skills

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

Common material handler/forklift operator skills

Pallets, 19%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Electric Pallet Jack, 10%
Forklift Operation, 7%
RF Scanner, 6%
Assembly Line, 4%

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Transportation Industry
High Lift Operator
High Lift Operator vs Material Handler/Forklift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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