Hydro operator vs production forklift operator

The differences between hydro operators and production 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 production forklift operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a hydro operator has an average salary of $40,931, which is higher than the $34,322 average annual salary of a production forklift operator.

The top three skills for a hydro operator include CDL, safety procedures and industrial cleaning. The most important skills for a production forklift operator are pallets, line production, and safety rules.

Hydro operator vs production forklift operator overview

	Hydro Operator	Production Forklift Operator
Yearly salary	$40,931	$34,322
Hourly rate	$19.68	$16.50
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	39,419	160,992
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 58%
Average age	47	43
Years of experience	2	4

Hydro operator vs production forklift operator salary

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

	Hydro Operator	Production Forklift Operator
Average salary	$40,931	$34,322
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $59,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	Fargo, ND
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Darigold
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between hydro operator and production forklift operator education

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

	Hydro Operator	Production Forklift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 58%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Hydro operator vs production forklift operator demographics

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

	Hydro Operator	Production Forklift Operator
Average age	47	43
Gender ratio	Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4%	Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5%
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, 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	11%	4%

Differences between hydro operator and production 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.

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

Hydro operator vs production forklift operator skills

Common hydro operator skills

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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