Hydro operator vs forklift operator

The differences between hydro operators and 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 hydro operator, becoming a forklift operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a hydro operator has an average salary of $40,931, which is higher than the $34,213 average annual salary of a forklift operator.

The top three skills for a hydro operator include CDL, safety procedures and industrial cleaning. The most important skills for a forklift operator are pallets, basic math, and electric pallet jack.

Hydro operator vs forklift operator overview

	Hydro Operator	Forklift Operator
Yearly salary	$40,931	$34,213
Hourly rate	$19.68	$16.45
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	39,419	213,020
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 59%
Average age	47	43
Years of experience	2	4

Hydro operator vs forklift operator salary

Hydro operators and forklift operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Hydro Operator	Forklift Operator
Average salary	$40,931	$34,213
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $59,000	Between $27,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	DeWitt LLP Law Firm
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between hydro operator and forklift operator education

There are a few differences between a hydro operator and a forklift operator in terms of educational background:

	Hydro Operator	Forklift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Hydro operator vs forklift operator demographics

Here are the differences between hydro operators' and forklift operators' demographics:

	Hydro Operator	Forklift Operator
Average age	47	43
Gender ratio	Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4%	Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 4.7% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 16.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 2.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	11%	4%

Differences between hydro operator and forklift operator duties and responsibilities

Hydro operator example responsibilities.

Used high-pressure water and vacuum system to excavate debris from oil drilling rig tanks and other various containers.
Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
Instruct several in-house classes to include H2S awareness and hazard awareness.

Forklift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Position forks under, over, or around load pallets, boxes, products, and transports load to designate area.
Transport raw materials to storage or point of production base on FIFO.
Remove press parts from line and place into WIP locations by FIFO.
Perform safety checks on machines; and troubleshoot problems during machine operation.
Start working as an order selector picking orders and wrapping for shipment.

Hydro operator vs forklift operator skills

Common hydro operator skills

CDL, 46%
Safety Procedures, 13%
Industrial Cleaning, 9%
DOT, 7%
Hydro Blasting, 4%
Frac, 4%

Common forklift operator skills

Pallets, 18%
Basic Math, 6%
Electric Pallet Jack, 5%
OSHA, 5%
Safety Procedures, 5%
Load Trucks, 4%