Lift operator vs fork truck operator

The differences between lift 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 lift operator and a fork truck operator. Additionally, a lift operator has an average salary of $32,309, which is higher than the $32,272 average annual salary of a fork truck operator.

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

Lift operator vs fork truck operator overview

	Lift Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$32,309	$32,272
Hourly rate	$15.53	$15.52
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	72,445	117,624
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Lift operator vs fork truck operator salary

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

	Lift Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Average salary	$32,309	$32,272
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $39,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Fremont, CA	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	BD	Seneca Foods
Best paying industry	Automotive	Finance

Differences between lift operator and fork truck operator education

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

	Lift Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Lift operator vs fork truck operator demographics

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

	Lift Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%	Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 15.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 2.6% White, 59.6% 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 lift operator and fork truck operator duties and responsibilities

Lift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Use AS400 to take yarn out of inventory.
Load and unload ship cargo using wenches or other hoisting devices.
Check forklift for problems such as fluid levels, tires and forks.
Load and unload trucks with as sit down with slip sheet and double forks attachment practicing a safe environment.
Record inventory and reroute misplaced pallets at rack locations to the correct location

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.

Lift operator vs fork truck operator skills

Common lift operator skills

Pallets, 17%
Fork-Lift, 14%
Electric Pallet Jack, 10%
Safety Rules, 9%
Power Saws, 4%
Load Trucks, 4%

Common fork truck operator skills

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

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Transportation Industry
Lift Operator
Lift Operator vs Fork Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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