Industrial truck driver vs operator

The differences between industrial truck drivers and operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an industrial truck driver and an operator. Additionally, an industrial truck driver has an average salary of $58,782, which is higher than the $37,928 average annual salary of an operator.

The top three skills for an industrial truck driver include safety procedures, CDL and trip inspections. The most important skills for an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.

Industrial truck driver vs operator overview

	Industrial Truck Driver	Operator
Yearly salary	$58,782	$37,928
Hourly rate	$28.26	$18.23
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	735,051	159,077
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Industrial truck driver vs operator salary

Industrial truck drivers and operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Industrial Truck Driver	Operator
Average salary	$58,782	$37,928
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $118,000	Between $27,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Philadelphia, PA	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	New York	North Dakota
Best paying company	Daimler Trucks North America	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Utilities	Technology

Differences between industrial truck driver and operator education

There are a few differences between an industrial truck driver and an operator in terms of educational background:

	Industrial Truck Driver	Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Industrial truck driver vs operator demographics

Here are the differences between industrial truck drivers' and operators' demographics:

	Industrial Truck Driver	Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3%	Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 16.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 2.5% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between industrial truck driver and operator duties and responsibilities

Industrial truck driver example responsibilities.

Manage and expedite the secure transportation and accountability of logistic materials and HAZMAT chemicals to commercial, state and government facilities.
Operate lift beams and swivel-hooks, hoists, and elevating platforms, manually or mechanically.
Perform safety inspections in truck as required by DOT.9.
Simulate and gather data on connectors and wire resistance via LabVIEW software tool.
Implement wire harness from the power fuse box to the connectors making sure the wire perform efficiently and reliably.
Conduct deliveries of medical equipment throughout Florida, collect payments, and ensure proper cleanliness of medical equipment

Operator example responsibilities.

Assist in developing the company s short and long term training plans and managing yearly ammunition allocation.
Assist and manage the extrusion process of polyester raw material in pellet or chip form to produce finish rolls of plastic.
Manage day-to-day transportation and logistics services for multinational account base.
Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Job require basic math skills: fractions and decimals.
Ensure safety of all equipment during production in compliance with strict OSHA and safety regulations.

Industrial truck driver vs operator skills

Common industrial truck driver skills

Safety Procedures, 23%
CDL, 18%
Trip Inspections, 17%
Unload Trucks, 6%
Vacuum Truck, 6%
Pre-trip, 5%

Common operator skills

Safety Procedures, 15%
CDL, 6%
Emergency Calls, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Quality Checks, 4%
Dozer, 4%