How To Become A Pallet Jack Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a pallet jack operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average pallet jack operator salary is $34,098. The most common degree is a high school diploma degree with an business major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a pallet jack operator. Pallet jack operators with a Operator Certification certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 7% and produce 56,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScorePallet Jack OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,098

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.3

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.87%

Asian 2.73%

Black or African American 17.60%

Hispanic or Latino 20.27%

Unknown 4.49%

White 54.04%

Gender

female 10.46%

male 89.54%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

8.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a pallet jack operator

Explore pallet jack operator education requirements

Most common pallet jack operator degrees

High School Diploma

63.1 %

Diploma

15.7 %

Associate

9.8 %

Start to develop specific pallet jack operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Pallets	32.69%
Electric Pallet Jack	23.32%
Safety Regulations	5.92%
RF Scanner	5.82%
Basic Math	5.62%

Complete relevant pallet jack operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New pallet jack operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a pallet jack operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real pallet jack operator resumes.

Research pallet jack operator duties and responsibilities

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Promote to pallet jack operator for re-hang area
Operate pallet jack move material through facility and perform routine maintenance on equipment

Prepare your pallet jack operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your pallet jack operator resume.

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Choose from 10+ customizable pallet jack operator resume templates

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