High lift operator vs production forklift operator

The differences between high lift operators and production 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 production forklift operator. Additionally, a high lift operator has an average salary of $34,481, which is higher than the $34,322 average annual salary of a production forklift operator.

The top three skills for a high lift operator include pallets, OSHA and load trucks. The most important skills for a production forklift operator are pallets, line production, and safety rules.

High lift operator vs production forklift operator overview

	High Lift Operator	Production Forklift Operator
Yearly salary	$34,481	$34,322
Hourly rate	$16.58	$16.50
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	44,928	160,992
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 58%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

High lift operator vs production forklift operator salary

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

	High Lift Operator	Production Forklift Operator
Average salary	$34,481	$34,322
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Cleveland, OH	Fargo, ND
Highest paying state	North Dakota	Alaska
Best paying company	United Natural Foods	Darigold
Best paying industry	Construction	Manufacturing

Differences between high lift operator and production forklift operator education

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

	High Lift Operator	Production Forklift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 58%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

High lift operator vs production forklift operator demographics

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

	High Lift Operator	Production Forklift Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7%	Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5%
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, 15.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 2.8% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between high lift operator and production 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.

Production forklift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Move and stock products using a stand up and sit down forklift.
Operate various forklifts from old Clark lifts to any new stand up and sit down lifts.
Load tractor trailer trucks with forklift and keep the production line stock with pallets of assort chicken parts to be package.
Execute production activities as directed by supervisor, including performing GMP cell culture of biologic products using closed-system device.
Deliver finished product to production area and stack items on pallet for pickup

High lift operator vs production 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 production forklift operator skills

Pallets, 24%
Line Production, 12%
Safety Rules, 12%
Pallet Jack, 8%
RF Scanner, 6%
Quality Standards, 5%

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Transportation Industry
High Lift Operator
High Lift Operator vs Production Forklift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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