High lift operator vs reach truck operator

The differences between high lift operators and reach 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 reach truck operator. Additionally, a reach truck operator has an average salary of $34,625, 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 reach truck operator are pallets, rf scanner, and basic math.

High lift operator vs reach truck operator overview

	High Lift Operator	Reach Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$34,481	$34,625
Hourly rate	$16.58	$16.65
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	44,928	137,300
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 57%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

High lift operator vs reach truck operator salary

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

	High Lift Operator	Reach Truck Operator
Average salary	$34,481	$34,625
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $40,000	Between $28,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	Cleveland, OH	Philadelphia, PA
Highest paying state	North Dakota	Alaska
Best paying company	United Natural Foods	United Natural Foods
Best paying industry	Construction	Manufacturing

Differences between high lift operator and reach truck operator education

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

	High Lift Operator	Reach Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 57%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

High lift operator vs reach truck operator demographics

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

	High Lift Operator	Reach Truck Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7%	Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%
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, 16.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.8% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between high lift operator and reach 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.

Reach truck operator example responsibilities.

Receive product in using WMS (warehouse management system )
Put away and picking of parts using RF scanner.
Train other employees to operate CNC beam line python.
Reach truck operator/picking order from WMS system and put away.
License to use a man-up, forklift, and scissor lift.
Clean and maintain the warehouse in compliance with OSHA safety standards ..

High lift operator vs reach 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 reach truck operator skills

Pallets, 19%
RF Scanner, 7%
Basic Math, 7%
SIT, 5%
Electric Pallet Jack, 5%
Warehouse Environment, 4%

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Transportation Industry
High Lift Operator
High Lift Operator vs Reach Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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