Material processor vs material handler

The differences between material processors 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 $31,148 average annual salary of a material processor.

The top three skills for a material processor include aerospace, CNC and hand tools. The most important skills for a material handler are pallets, basic math, and forklifts.

Material processor vs material handler overview

	Material Processor	Material Handler
Yearly salary	$31,148	$33,215
Hourly rate	$14.97	$15.97
Growth rate	-3%	6%
Number of jobs	25,241	174,068
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	45	40
Years of experience	2	-

Material processor vs material handler salary

Material processors and material handlers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Material Processor	Material Handler
Average salary	$31,148	$33,215
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $39,000	Between $26,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	El Dorado Hills, CA	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	California	Minnesota
Best paying company	Northrop Grumman	Battelle
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Automotive

Differences between material processor and material handler education

There are a few differences between a material processor and a material handler in terms of educational background:

	Material Processor	Material Handler
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	-

Material processor vs material handler demographics

Here are the differences between material processors' and material handlers' demographics:

	Material Processor	Material Handler
Average age	45	40
Gender ratio	Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7%	Male, 77.6% Female, 22.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 7.2% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	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 Percentage	11%	5%

Differences between material processor and material handler duties and responsibilities

Material processor example responsibilities.

Manage and coordinate customer delivery commits between production, engineering and logistics.
Pick orders using RF scanner.
Provide assistance during shipment audits for less-than truckload (LTL) freight.
Work directly with mortgage lenders and foreclosure attorneys to negotiate timely and cost effective repayment plans or modifications for delinquent loans.
Perform the necessary research on new parts and WIP utilizing a wide variety of technical manuals, blue prints and drawings.
Streamline manufacturing process by supporting WIP management and warehouse and material repair board coordinator.

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.

Material processor vs material handler skills

Common material processor skills

Aerospace, 9%
CNC, 9%
Hand Tools, 7%
Computer System, 7%
Inventory Control, 6%
Lean Manufacturing, 6%

Common material handler skills

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