Package handler-loader vs driver/material handler

The differences between package handler-loaders and driver/material handlers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a driver/material handler has an average salary of $36,219, which is higher than the $32,388 average annual salary of a package handler-loader.

The top three skills for a package handler-loader include safety procedures, delivery truck and load trucks. The most important skills for a driver/material handler are CDL, customer orders, and inventory control.

Package handler-loader vs driver/material handler overview

	Package Handler-Loader	Driver/Material Handler
Yearly salary	$32,388	$36,219
Hourly rate	$15.57	$17.41
Growth rate	6%	7%
Number of jobs	45,296	198,718
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	40	43
Years of experience	-	4

Package handler-loader vs driver/material handler salary

Package handler-loaders and driver/material handlers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Package Handler-Loader	Driver/Material Handler
Average salary	$32,388	$36,219
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $39,000	Between $28,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Clara, CA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Merck
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between package handler-loader and driver/material handler education

There are a few differences between a package handler-loader and a driver/material handler in terms of educational background:

	Package Handler-Loader	Driver/Material Handler
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Package handler-loader vs driver/material handler demographics

Here are the differences between package handler-loaders' and driver/material handlers' demographics:

	Package Handler-Loader	Driver/Material Handler
Average age	40	43
Gender ratio	Male, 84.1% Female, 15.9%	Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 5.4% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 15.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 2.6% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	5%	4%

Differences between package handler-loader and driver/material handler duties and responsibilities

Package handler-loader example responsibilities.

Distribute production materials to designate locations on assembly lines observing the first-in-first-out (FIFO) inventory control practice.
Store pig bellies in the freezer.
Stack and load pig bellies on top of forklift in bags.
Maintain warehouse records in accordance with inventory accuracy and ISO certification.

Driver/material handler example responsibilities.

Manage temporary staff doing warehouse work and train and test them in order to receive forklift certification per OSHA.
Load and unload LTL freight from inbound and outbound trailers.
Operate forklifts in transferring loading and unloading materials in LTL.
Pick and audit hazmat and international orders.
Handle emergency hazmat situations requiring quick decision making skills.
Stack and move pallets from different lines with different products documenting quantity and quality while participating in a team environment.

Package handler-loader vs driver/material handler skills

Common package handler-loader skills

Safety Procedures, 21%
Delivery Truck, 16%
Load Trucks, 12%
Pallet Jack, 7%
Truck Trailers, 6%
Conveyor Belts, 6%

Common driver/material handler skills

CDL, 21%
Customer Orders, 11%
Inventory Control, 9%
Customer Service, 9%
Safety Rules, 7%
Pallets, 6%

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Package Handler-Loader
Package Handler-Loader vs Driver/Material Handler

Updated January 8, 2025

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