Hoist operator vs material handler/forklift operator

The differences between hoist operators and material handler/forklift operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a hoist operator, becoming a material handler/forklift operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a material handler/forklift operator has an average salary of $36,453, which is higher than the $33,428 average annual salary of a hoist operator.

The top three skills for a hoist operator include pallets, unload materials and safety checks. The most important skills for a material handler/forklift operator are pallets, safety procedures, and electric pallet jack.

Hoist operator vs material handler/forklift operator overview

	Hoist Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Yearly salary	$33,428	$36,453
Hourly rate	$16.07	$17.53
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	49,107	168,379
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 58%	High School Diploma, 59%
Average age	41	43
Years of experience	2	4

Hoist operator vs material handler/forklift operator salary

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

	Hoist Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Average salary	$33,428	$36,453
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $39,000	Between $29,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	-	Lakeville, MN
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	Nestlé
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between hoist operator and material handler/forklift operator education

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

	Hoist Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 58%	High School Diploma, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Hoist operator vs material handler/forklift operator demographics

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

	Hoist Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Average age	41	43
Gender ratio	Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8%	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 0.8% White, 73.5% 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 hoist operator and material handler/forklift operator duties and responsibilities

Hoist operator example responsibilities.

Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
Move inventory in support of logistics management.

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.

Hoist operator vs material handler/forklift operator skills

Common hoist operator skills

Pallets, 28%
Unload Materials, 21%
Safety Checks, 21%
Inventory Control, 9%
Clamp Truck, 4%
Load Trucks, 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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Hoist Operator
Hoist Operator vs Material Handler/Forklift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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