Hydro operator vs lift truck operator

The differences between hydro operators and lift truck 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 lift truck operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a hydro operator has an average salary of $40,931, which is higher than the $36,973 average annual salary of a lift truck operator.

The top three skills for a hydro operator include CDL, safety procedures and industrial cleaning. The most important skills for a lift truck operator are pallets, safety procedures, and load trailers.

Hydro operator vs lift truck operator overview

	Hydro Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$40,931	$36,973
Hourly rate	$19.68	$17.78
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	39,419	103,337
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	47	43
Years of experience	2	4

Hydro operator vs lift truck operator salary

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

	Hydro Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Average salary	$40,931	$36,973
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $59,000	Between $29,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	-	Springfield, OR
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Nestlé
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between hydro operator and lift truck operator education

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

	Hydro Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Hydro operator vs lift truck operator demographics

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

	Hydro Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Average age	47	43
Gender ratio	Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4%	Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3%
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, 16.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.4% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	11%	4%

Differences between hydro operator and lift truck 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.

Lift truck operator example responsibilities.

Certify on stand up/sit down forks, clamps, slip sheets and cherry picker
Used WMS system to adjust inventory, either in, out, or amounts.
Perform trailer inspections, loading and unloading inventory, RFT scanner experience, WMS.
Relocate pallets from receiving dock to desire location within warehouse.
Maintain accurate and timely documentation as is required by organization and OSHA.
Load and unload items from machines and dollies.

Hydro operator vs lift truck operator skills

Common hydro operator skills

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

Common lift truck operator skills

Pallets, 18%
Safety Procedures, 11%
Load Trailers, 6%
AS400, 5%
Electric Pallet Jack, 5%
Forks, 4%