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Loading dock hand vs material handler

The differences between loading dock hands and material handlers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a material handler has an average salary of $33,215, which is higher than the $30,478 average annual salary of a loading dock hand.

The top three skills for a loading dock hand include pallet jack, load trailers and dishwashers. The most important skills for a material handler are pallets, basic math, and forklifts.

Loading dock hand vs material handler overview

Loading Dock HandMaterial Handler
Yearly salary$30,478$33,215
Hourly rate$14.65$15.97
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs5,901174,068
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 56%High School Diploma, 51%
Average age4040
Years of experience--

Loading dock hand vs material handler salary

Loading dock hands and material handlers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Loading Dock HandMaterial Handler
Average salary$30,478$33,215
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $35,000Between $26,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City-Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state-Minnesota
Best paying company-Battelle
Best paying industry-Automotive

Differences between loading dock hand and material handler education

There are a few differences between a loading dock hand and a material handler in terms of educational background:

Loading Dock HandMaterial Handler
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 56%High School Diploma, 51%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Loading dock hand vs material handler demographics

Here are the differences between loading dock hands' and material handlers' demographics:

Loading Dock HandMaterial Handler
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 81.6% Female, 18.4%Male, 77.6% Female, 22.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 14.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 5.7% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%Black or African American, 13.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 5.6% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between loading dock hand and material handler duties and responsibilities

Loading dock hand example responsibilities.

  • Load orders into trailers for shipment; coordinate cross-dock operations and load consolidations.
  • Operate WMS shipping system efficiently and accurately.

Material handler example responsibilities.

  • Utilize a manufacturing cloud ERP system to accomplish tasks.
  • Operate forklift according to OSHA safety regulations.
  • Pull parts from stockroom using detail BOM's.
  • Perform daily transactions of materials and inventory movements in ERP system.
  • Help train in coming personnel on FedEx and LTL carriers shipping systems.
  • Move parts from CNC operators to stock area or to assemblers directly.
  • Show more

Loading dock hand vs material handler skills

Common loading dock hand skills
  • Pallet Jack, 32%
  • Load Trailers, 20%
  • Dishwashers, 10%
  • RF, 6%
  • Assembly Line, 4%
  • Water Truck, 4%
Common material handler skills
  • Pallets, 12%
  • Basic Math, 6%
  • Forklifts, 6%
  • Math, 5%
  • Customer Service, 4%
  • Hand Tools, 4%

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