Material handler vs production forklift operator

The differences between material handlers and production forklift operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a production forklift operator has an average salary of $34,322, which is higher than the $33,215 average annual salary of a material handler.

The top three skills for a material handler include pallets, basic math and forklifts. The most important skills for a production forklift operator are pallets, line production, and safety rules.

Material handler vs production forklift operator overview

	Material Handler	Production Forklift Operator
Yearly salary	$33,215	$34,322
Hourly rate	$15.97	$16.50
Growth rate	6%	7%
Number of jobs	174,068	160,992
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 58%
Average age	40	43
Years of experience	-	4

Material handler vs production forklift operator salary

Material handlers and production forklift operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Material Handler	Production Forklift Operator
Average salary	$33,215	$34,322
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $41,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Fargo, ND
Highest paying state	Minnesota	Alaska
Best paying company	Battelle	Darigold
Best paying industry	Automotive	Manufacturing

Differences between material handler and production forklift operator education

There are a few differences between a material handler and a production forklift operator in terms of educational background:

	Material Handler	Production Forklift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 58%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Material handler vs production forklift operator demographics

Here are the differences between material handlers' and production forklift operators' demographics:

	Material Handler	Production Forklift Operator
Average age	40	43
Gender ratio	Male, 77.6% Female, 22.4%	Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 15.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 2.8% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	5%	4%

Differences between material handler and production forklift operator duties and responsibilities

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.

Production forklift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Move and stock products using a stand up and sit down forklift.
Operate various forklifts from old Clark lifts to any new stand up and sit down lifts.
Load tractor trailer trucks with forklift and keep the production line stock with pallets of assort chicken parts to be package.
Execute production activities as directed by supervisor, including performing GMP cell culture of biologic products using closed-system device.
Deliver finished product to production area and stack items on pallet for pickup

Material handler vs production forklift operator skills

Common material handler skills

Pallets, 12%
Basic Math, 6%
Forklifts, 6%
Math, 5%
Customer Service, 4%
Hand Tools, 4%

Common production forklift operator skills

Pallets, 24%
Line Production, 12%
Safety Rules, 12%
Pallet Jack, 8%
RF Scanner, 6%
Quality Standards, 5%

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Transportation Industry
Material Handler
Material Handler vs Production Forklift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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