Materials handling equipment operator vs forklift operator

The differences between materials handling equipment operators and forklift 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 materials handling equipment operator and a forklift operator. Additionally, a materials handling equipment operator has an average salary of $34,554, which is higher than the $34,213 average annual salary of a forklift operator.

The top three skills for a materials handling equipment operator include pallets, pallet jack and safety regulations. The most important skills for a forklift operator are pallets, basic math, and electric pallet jack.

Materials handling equipment operator vs forklift operator overview

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Forklift Operator
Yearly salary	$34,554	$34,213
Hourly rate	$16.61	$16.45
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	72,569	213,020
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 59%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Materials handling equipment operator vs forklift operator salary

Materials handling equipment operators and forklift operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Forklift Operator
Average salary	$34,554	$34,213
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $43,000	Between $27,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	DeWitt LLP Law Firm
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between materials handling equipment operator and forklift operator education

There are a few differences between a materials handling equipment operator and a forklift operator in terms of educational background:

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Forklift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Materials handling equipment operator vs forklift operator demographics

Here are the differences between materials handling equipment operators' and forklift operators' demographics:

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Forklift Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3%	Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 15.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 16.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 2.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between materials handling equipment operator and forklift operator duties and responsibilities

Materials handling equipment operator example responsibilities.

Operate stand-up forklift, reach truck and walkie.
Unload railcars using crane, forklift and overhead hoists.
Certify on walkie rider, stand-up forklift/ high reach forklift, and turret truck.
Perform daily pre and post maintenance inspection checks on designate material handling equipment (MHE).
Load and secure items onto pallets and ensure that the materials are in the proper place and prepare them for shipment.
Maintain accurate and timely documentation as is required by organization and OSHA.

Forklift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Position forks under, over, or around load pallets, boxes, products, and transports load to designate area.
Transport raw materials to storage or point of production base on FIFO.
Remove press parts from line and place into WIP locations by FIFO.
Perform safety checks on machines; and troubleshoot problems during machine operation.
Start working as an order selector picking orders and wrapping for shipment.

Materials handling equipment operator vs forklift operator skills

Common materials handling equipment operator skills

Pallets, 16%
Pallet Jack, 12%
Safety Regulations, 9%
End Loaders, 8%
Basic Math, 7%
Safety Procedures, 6%

Common forklift operator skills

Pallets, 18%
Basic Math, 6%
Electric Pallet Jack, 5%
OSHA, 5%
Safety Procedures, 5%
Load Trucks, 4%

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Transportation Industry
Materials Handling Equipment Operator
Materials Handling Equipment Operator vs Forklift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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