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The differences between material handling specialists and material handler/forklift operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a material handling specialist has an average salary of $37,786, which is higher than the $36,453 average annual salary of a material handler/forklift operator.
The top three skills for a material handling specialist include logistics, safety procedures and safety regulations. The most important skills for a material handler/forklift operator are pallets, safety procedures, and electric pallet jack.
| Material Handling Specialist | Material Handler/Forklift Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $37,786 | $36,453 |
| Hourly rate | $18.17 | $17.53 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 66,226 | 168,379 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 32% | High School Diploma, 59% |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
Material handling specialists and material handler/forklift operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Material Handling Specialist | Material Handler/Forklift Operator | |
| Average salary | $37,786 | $36,453 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $47,000 | Between $29,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Marlborough, MA | Lakeville, MN |
| Highest paying state | New York | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | University of Delaware | Nestlé |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a material handling specialist and a material handler/forklift operator in terms of educational background:
| Material Handling Specialist | Material Handler/Forklift Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 32% | High School Diploma, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between material handling specialists' and material handler/forklift operators' demographics:
| Material Handling Specialist | Material Handler/Forklift Operator | |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.2% Female, 27.8% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 5.6% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |