Power operator vs forklift operator

The differences between power operators and forklift operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a power operator has an average salary of $38,263, which is higher than the $34,213 average annual salary of a forklift operator.

The top three skills for a power operator include pallets, control room and electrical systems. The most important skills for a forklift operator are pallets, basic math, and electric pallet jack.

Power operator vs forklift operator overview

	Power Operator	Forklift Operator
Yearly salary	$38,263	$34,213
Hourly rate	$18.40	$16.45
Growth rate	-15%	7%
Number of jobs	39,171	213,020
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 59%
Average age	46	43
Years of experience	-	4

Power operator vs forklift operator salary

Power operators and forklift operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Power Operator	Forklift Operator
Average salary	$38,263	$34,213
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $50,000	Between $27,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	DeWitt LLP Law Firm
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between power operator and forklift operator education

There are a few differences between a power operator and a forklift operator in terms of educational background:

	Power Operator	Forklift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Power operator vs forklift operator demographics

Here are the differences between power operators' and forklift operators' demographics:

	Power Operator	Forklift Operator
Average age	46	43
Gender ratio	Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6%	Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 1.5% White, 77.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%	Black or African American, 16.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 2.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	5%	4%

Differences between power operator and forklift operator duties and responsibilities

Power operator example responsibilities.

Manage an internal environmental information system and ensure compliance with EPA and RCRA regulations.
Operate heavy equipment, loaders, lifts, hand and power tools to complete skil tasks.
Adjust controls of water and cold feed systems, blowers and igniters to start up and shut down boilers.
Help electrical maintenance department troubleshoot motors and other electrical devices.
Identify parameters indicative of an emergency condition and initiate designated actions, execute terminal shutdown and start-up procedures upon approval.
Conduct rig movements during drilling operations.

Forklift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Position forks under, over, or around load pallets, boxes, products, and transports load to designate area.
Transport raw materials to storage or point of production base on FIFO.
Remove press parts from line and place into WIP locations by FIFO.
Perform safety checks on machines; and troubleshoot problems during machine operation.
Start working as an order selector picking orders and wrapping for shipment.

Power operator vs forklift operator skills

Common power operator skills

Pallets, 28%
Control Room, 19%
Electrical Systems, 9%
Water Treatment, 8%
Cooling Towers, 5%
HVAC, 4%

Common forklift operator skills

Pallets, 18%
Basic Math, 6%
Electric Pallet Jack, 5%
OSHA, 5%
Safety Procedures, 5%
Load Trucks, 4%