Materials handling equipment operator vs lift operator

The differences between materials handling equipment operators and lift 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 lift operator. Additionally, a materials handling equipment operator has an average salary of $34,554, which is higher than the $32,309 average annual salary of a lift operator.

The top three skills for a materials handling equipment operator include pallets, pallet jack and safety regulations. The most important skills for a lift operator are pallets, fork-lift, and electric pallet jack.

Materials handling equipment operator vs lift operator overview

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Lift Operator
Yearly salary	$34,554	$32,309
Hourly rate	$16.61	$15.53
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	72,569	72,445
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Materials handling equipment operator vs lift operator salary

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

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Lift Operator
Average salary	$34,554	$32,309
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $43,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Fremont, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	BD
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between materials handling equipment operator and lift operator education

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

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Lift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Materials handling equipment operator vs lift operator demographics

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

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Lift Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3%	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%
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, 15.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 2.6% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between materials handling equipment operator and lift 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.

Lift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Use AS400 to take yarn out of inventory.
Load and unload ship cargo using wenches or other hoisting devices.
Check forklift for problems such as fluid levels, tires and forks.
Load and unload trucks with as sit down with slip sheet and double forks attachment practicing a safe environment.
Record inventory and reroute misplaced pallets at rack locations to the correct location

Materials handling equipment operator vs lift 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 lift operator skills

Pallets, 17%
Fork-Lift, 14%
Electric Pallet Jack, 10%
Safety Rules, 9%
Power Saws, 4%
Load Trucks, 4%

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Materials Handling Equipment Operator
Materials Handling Equipment Operator vs Lift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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