Pit operator vs lift truck operator

The differences between pit operators and lift 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 a pit operator and a lift truck operator. Additionally, a lift truck operator has an average salary of $36,973, which is higher than the $34,111 average annual salary of a pit operator.

The top three skills for a pit operator include pallets, safety policies and rf scanner. The most important skills for a lift truck operator are pallets, safety procedures, and load trailers.

Pit operator vs lift truck operator overview

	Pit Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$34,111	$36,973
Hourly rate	$16.40	$17.78
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	68,306	103,337
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Pit operator vs lift truck operator salary

Pit operators and lift truck operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pit Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Average salary	$34,111	$36,973
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $39,000	Between $29,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Lansing, IL	Springfield, OR
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Post Holdings	Nestlé
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between pit operator and lift truck operator education

There are a few differences between a pit operator and a lift truck operator in terms of educational background:

	Pit Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Pit operator vs lift truck operator demographics

Here are the differences between pit operators' and lift truck operators' demographics:

	Pit Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2%	Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 16.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.4% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between pit operator and lift truck operator duties and responsibilities

Pit operator example responsibilities.

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.

Lift truck operator example responsibilities.

Certify on stand up/sit down forks, clamps, slip sheets and cherry picker
Used WMS system to adjust inventory, either in, out, or amounts.
Perform trailer inspections, loading and unloading inventory, RFT scanner experience, WMS.
Relocate pallets from receiving dock to desire location within warehouse.
Maintain accurate and timely documentation as is required by organization and OSHA.
Load and unload items from machines and dollies.

Pit operator vs lift truck operator skills

Common pit operator skills

Pallets, 17%
Safety Policies, 13%
RF Scanner, 12%
Load Trucks, 10%
Safety Committee, 8%
Powered Industrial Trucks, 6%

Common lift truck operator skills

Pallets, 18%
Safety Procedures, 11%
Load Trailers, 6%
AS400, 5%
Electric Pallet Jack, 5%
Forks, 4%

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Transportation Industry
Pit Operator
Pit Operator vs Lift Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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