Mule operator vs forklift operator

The differences between mule 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 mule operator and a forklift operator. Additionally, a forklift operator has an average salary of $34,213, which is higher than the $33,910 average annual salary of a mule operator.

Mule operator vs forklift operator overview

	Mule Operator	Forklift Operator
Yearly salary	$33,910	$34,213
Hourly rate	$16.30	$16.45
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	42,264	213,020
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 83%	High School Diploma, 59%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Mule operator vs forklift operator salary

Mule operators and forklift operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mule Operator	Forklift Operator
Average salary	$33,910	$34,213
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $41,000	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 mule operator and forklift operator education

There are a few differences between a mule operator and a forklift operator in terms of educational background:

	Mule Operator	Forklift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 83%	High School Diploma, 59%
Most common major	Computer Technical Support	Business
Most common college	-	-

Mule operator vs forklift operator demographics

Here are the differences between mule operators' and forklift operators' demographics:

	Mule Operator	Forklift Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2%	Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 20.3% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 23.2% Asian, 1.8% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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 mule operator and forklift operator duties and responsibilities

Mule operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Landscape and maintain residential HOA communities.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Move inventory in support of logistics management.

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.

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Transportation Industry
Mule Operator
Mule Operator vs Forklift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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