Pick up driver vs pallet jack operator

The differences between pick up drivers and pallet jack 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 pick up driver and a pallet jack operator. Additionally, a pick up driver has an average salary of $49,813, which is higher than the $34,098 average annual salary of a pallet jack operator.

The top three skills for a pick up driver include pallet jack, DOT and rf scanner. The most important skills for a pallet jack operator are pallets, electric pallet jack, and safety regulations.

Pick up driver vs pallet jack operator overview

	Pick Up Driver	Pallet Jack Operator
Yearly salary	$49,813	$34,098
Hourly rate	$23.95	$16.39
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	44,609	136,563
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 63%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Pick up driver vs pallet jack operator salary

Pick up drivers and pallet jack operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pick Up Driver	Pallet Jack Operator
Average salary	$49,813	$34,098
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $68,000	Between $28,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Denver, CO	Denver, CO
Highest paying state	North Dakota	Alaska
Best paying company	Wayfair	Cargill
Best paying industry	Transportation	Manufacturing

Differences between pick up driver and pallet jack operator education

There are a few differences between a pick up driver and a pallet jack operator in terms of educational background:

	Pick Up Driver	Pallet Jack Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 63%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Pick up driver vs pallet jack operator demographics

Here are the differences between pick up drivers' and pallet jack operators' demographics:

	Pick Up Driver	Pallet Jack Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4%	Male, 89.5% Female, 10.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 2.6% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 17.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 2.7% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between pick up driver and pallet jack operator duties and responsibilities

Pick up driver example responsibilities.

Conduct deliveries of medical equipment throughout Florida, collect payments, and ensure proper cleanliness of medical equipment
Employ wide variety of hand and power tools including hoists, drills, precision measuring instruments and electronic testing devices.

Pallet jack operator example 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
Comply with all OSHA and MSDS standards.
Comply with all OSHA and MSDS standards by reporting quality variances.

Pick up driver vs pallet jack operator skills

Common pick up driver skills

Pallet Jack, 27%
DOT, 19%
RF Scanner, 12%
Hand Trucks, 9%
Customer Orders, 8%
Computer System, 6%

Common pallet jack operator skills

Pallets, 33%
Electric Pallet Jack, 23%
Safety Regulations, 6%
RF Scanner, 6%
Basic Math, 6%
Warehouse Environment, 3%

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Pick Up Driver
Pick Up Driver vs Pallet Jack Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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