Lead forklift operator vs fork truck operator

The differences between lead forklift operators and fork truck operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a lead forklift operator and a fork truck operator. Additionally, a lead forklift operator has an average salary of $42,633, which is higher than the $32,272 average annual salary of a fork truck operator.

The top three skills for a lead forklift operator include pallets, safety committee and electric pallet jack. The most important skills for a fork truck operator are pallets, safety procedures, and load trucks.

Lead forklift operator vs fork truck operator overview

	Lead Forklift Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$42,633	$32,272
Hourly rate	$20.50	$15.52
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	51,186	117,624
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 57%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Lead forklift operator vs fork truck operator salary

Lead forklift operators and fork truck operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lead Forklift Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Average salary	$42,633	$32,272
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $50,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Seneca Foods
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between lead forklift operator and fork truck operator education

There are a few differences between a lead forklift operator and a fork truck operator in terms of educational background:

	Lead Forklift Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 57%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Lead forklift operator vs fork truck operator demographics

Here are the differences between lead forklift operators' and fork truck operators' demographics:

	Lead Forklift Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%	Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 16.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 2.7% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 1.9% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between lead forklift operator and fork truck operator duties and responsibilities

Lead forklift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Used WMS and bar code scanning systems to insure order and inventory accuracy for shipping, receiving and warehousing.
Locate and relocate and pallets throughout warehouse facility.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Schedule LTL'S for pick ups of loads for shipping.
Load and unload LTL and TLD trailers in the most optimal way without damaging the freight.

Fork truck operator example responsibilities.

Create and cataloge files for GMP library.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.

Lead forklift operator vs fork truck operator skills

Common lead forklift operator skills

Pallets, 16%
Safety Committee, 9%
Electric Pallet Jack, 6%
Forklift Operators, 5%
Inventory Control, 5%
RF Scanner, 4%

Common fork truck operator skills

Pallets, 19%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Load Trucks, 7%
Load Trailers, 6%
Pallet Jack, 6%
Assembly Line, 5%

Lead Forklift Operator vs. similar jobs

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Transportation Industry
Lead Forklift Operator
Lead Forklift Operator vs Fork Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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