Operator vs fork truck operator

The differences between operators and fork truck operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an operator and a fork truck operator. Additionally, an operator has an average salary of $37,928, which is higher than the $32,272 average annual salary of a fork truck operator.

The top three skills for an operator include safety procedures, CDL and emergency calls. The most important skills for a fork truck operator are pallets, safety procedures, and load trucks.

Operator vs fork truck operator overview

	Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$37,928	$32,272
Hourly rate	$18.23	$15.52
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	159,077	117,624
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Operator vs fork truck operator salary

Operators and fork truck operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Average salary	$37,928	$32,272
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $53,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	San Jose, CA	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	North Dakota	Alaska
Best paying company	Microsoft	Seneca Foods
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between operator and fork truck operator education

There are a few differences between an operator and a fork truck operator in terms of educational background:

	Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Operator vs fork truck operator demographics

Here are the differences between operators' and fork truck operators' demographics:

	Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0%	Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 1.9% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between operator and fork truck operator duties and responsibilities

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.

Fork truck operator example responsibilities.

Create and cataloge files for GMP library.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.

Operator vs fork truck operator skills

Common operator skills

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

Common fork truck operator skills

Pallets, 19%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Load Trucks, 7%
Load Trailers, 6%
Pallet Jack, 6%
Assembly Line, 5%

Operator vs. similar jobs

Operator related careers

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Operator jobs by location

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Transportation Industry
Operator
Operator vs Fork Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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