Materials handling equipment operator vs operator

The differences between materials handling equipment operators and 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 an operator. Additionally, an operator has an average salary of $37,928, 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 an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.

Materials handling equipment operator vs operator overview

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Operator
Yearly salary	$34,554	$37,928
Hourly rate	$16.61	$18.23
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	72,569	159,077
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Materials handling equipment operator vs operator salary

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

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Operator
Average salary	$34,554	$37,928
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $43,000	Between $27,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between materials handling equipment operator and operator education

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

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Materials handling equipment operator vs operator demographics

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

	Materials Handling Equipment Operator	Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3%	Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0%
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, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between materials handling equipment operator and 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.

Operator example responsibilities.

Assist in developing the company s short and long term training plans and managing yearly ammunition allocation.
Assist and manage the extrusion process of polyester raw material in pellet or chip form to produce finish rolls of plastic.
Manage day-to-day transportation and logistics services for multinational account base.
Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Job require basic math skills: fractions and decimals.
Ensure safety of all equipment during production in compliance with strict OSHA and safety regulations.

Materials handling equipment operator vs 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 operator skills

Safety Procedures, 15%
CDL, 6%
Emergency Calls, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Quality Checks, 4%
Dozer, 4%

Materials Handling Equipment Operator vs. similar jobs

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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