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The differences between material handler/forklift operators and cherry picker 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 material handler/forklift operator and a cherry picker operator. Additionally, a material handler/forklift operator has an average salary of $36,453, which is higher than the $33,956 average annual salary of a cherry picker operator.
The top three skills for a material handler/forklift operator include pallets, safety procedures and electric pallet jack. The most important skills for a cherry picker operator are cherry-picker, pallets, and rf scanner.
| Material Handler/Forklift Operator | Cherry Picker Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $36,453 | $33,956 |
| Hourly rate | $17.53 | $16.32 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 168,379 | 105,023 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 59% | High School Diploma, 62% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A material handler and forklift operator is responsible for transporting and storing various kinds of goods, even including fragile or hazardous shipments. The duties and location will vary depending on the line of work or industry involved. However, most of the tasks will require efficiency in operating machinery, communication skills, and great attention to detail. Furthermore, a material handler and forklift operator must monitor products and keep an accurate record of overall activities, transport materials within allotted time and schedule, and maintain communication and coordination with co-workers and supervisors.
Cherry pickers perform a safe and efficient operation of motorized lift vehicles in pulling customer order-based products. The cherry pickers manage different warehouse operating systems and associates to support processing and internal order logistics. They perform preventive maintenance on pallet packs, machines, cherry pickers, and forklifts. It is part of their job to count, verify, and check documents for completeness and accuracy. The skills to develop for this job include warehouse environment, clamp, and pallet jack operations.
Material handler/forklift operators and cherry picker operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Material Handler/Forklift Operator | Cherry Picker Operator | |
| Average salary | $36,453 | $33,956 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $45,000 | Between $27,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lakeville, MN | Eagan, MN |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Nestlé | United Natural Foods |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a material handler/forklift operator and a cherry picker operator in terms of educational background:
| Material Handler/Forklift Operator | Cherry Picker Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 59% | High School Diploma, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between material handler/forklift operators' and cherry picker operators' demographics:
| Material Handler/Forklift Operator | Cherry Picker Operator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 76.5% Female, 23.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 16.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 16.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 2.4% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |