Materials handling equipment operator vs mill operator

The differences between materials handling equipment operators and mill 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 mill operator. Additionally, a mill operator has an average salary of $39,045, which is higher than the $34,554 average annual salary of a materials handling equipment operator.

The top three skills for a materials handling equipment operator include pallets, pallet jack and safety regulations. The most important skills for a mill operator are CNC, OSHA, and math.

Materials handling equipment operator vs mill operator overview

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Mill Operator
Yearly salary	$34,554	$39,045
Hourly rate	$16.61	$18.77
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	72,569	64,574
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Materials handling equipment operator vs mill operator salary

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

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Mill Operator
Average salary	$34,554	$39,045
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $43,000	Between $31,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Freeport-McMoRan
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between materials handling equipment operator and mill operator education

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

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

Materials handling equipment operator vs mill operator demographics

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

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Mill Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3%	Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5%
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, 14.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 2.4% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between materials handling equipment operator and mill 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.

Mill operator example responsibilities.

Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Perform all work in respirator and other proper PPE.
Skil at training other machinists on CNC machines in this shop.
Assemble parts, operate CNC lathe and mills and adjust off sets.
Perform QC testing on products, filing paperwork per company and ISO standards.
Rebuild Rotex sifters, fabricate and replace screens, replace shoes and anvils in impact mills.

Materials handling equipment operator vs mill 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 mill operator skills

CNC, 7%
OSHA, 7%
Math, 6%
Calipers, 6%
Hand Tools, 5%
Safety Rules, 5%

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Materials Handling Equipment Operator
Materials Handling Equipment Operator vs Mill Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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