Materials handling equipment operator vs material handler

The differences between materials handling equipment operators and material handlers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a materials handling equipment operator has an average salary of $34,554, which is higher than the $33,215 average annual salary of a material handler.

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

Materials handling equipment operator vs material handler overview

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Material Handler
Yearly salary	$34,554	$33,215
Hourly rate	$16.61	$15.97
Growth rate	7%	6%
Number of jobs	72,569	174,068
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	43	40
Years of experience	4	-

Materials handling equipment operator vs material handler salary

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

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Material Handler
Average salary	$34,554	$33,215
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $43,000	Between $26,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	-	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	-	Minnesota
Best paying company	-	Battelle
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between materials handling equipment operator and material handler education

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

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Material Handler
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Materials handling equipment operator vs material handler demographics

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

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Material Handler
Average age	43	40
Gender ratio	Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3%	Male, 77.6% Female, 22.4%
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, 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	4%	5%

Differences between materials handling equipment operator and material handler 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.

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.

Materials handling equipment operator vs material handler 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 material handler skills

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

Materials Handling Equipment Operator vs. similar jobs

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Materials Handling Equipment Operator
Materials Handling Equipment Operator vs Material Handler

Updated January 8, 2025

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