Production forklift operator vs mill operator

The differences between production forklift operators and mill 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 production forklift operator and a mill operator. Additionally, a mill operator has an average salary of $39,045, which is higher than the $34,322 average annual salary of a production forklift operator.

The top three skills for a production forklift operator include pallets, line production and safety rules. The most important skills for a mill operator are CNC, OSHA, and math.

Production forklift operator vs mill operator overview

	Production Forklift Operator	Mill Operator
Yearly salary	$34,322	$39,045
Hourly rate	$16.50	$18.77
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	160,992	64,574
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 58%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Production forklift operator vs mill operator salary

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

	Production Forklift Operator	Mill Operator
Average salary	$34,322	$39,045
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $43,000	Between $31,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Fargo, ND	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Darigold	Freeport-McMoRan
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Construction

Differences between production forklift operator and mill operator education

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

	Production Forklift Operator	Mill Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 58%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Production forklift operator vs mill operator demographics

Here are the differences between production forklift operators' and mill operators' demographics:

	Production Forklift Operator	Mill Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5%	Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 15.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 2.8% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 14.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 2.4% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between production forklift operator and mill operator duties and responsibilities

Production forklift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Move and stock products using a stand up and sit down forklift.
Operate various forklifts from old Clark lifts to any new stand up and sit down lifts.
Load tractor trailer trucks with forklift and keep the production line stock with pallets of assort chicken parts to be package.
Execute production activities as directed by supervisor, including performing GMP cell culture of biologic products using closed-system device.
Deliver finished product to production area and stack items on pallet for pickup

Mill operator example responsibilities.

Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Perform all work in respirator and other proper PPE.
Skil at training other machinists on CNC machines in this shop.
Assemble parts, operate CNC lathe and mills and adjust off sets.
Perform QC testing on products, filing paperwork per company and ISO standards.
Rebuild Rotex sifters, fabricate and replace screens, replace shoes and anvils in impact mills.

Production forklift operator vs mill operator skills

Common production forklift operator skills

Pallets, 24%
Line Production, 12%
Safety Rules, 12%
Pallet Jack, 8%
RF Scanner, 6%
Quality Standards, 5%

Common mill operator skills

CNC, 7%
OSHA, 7%
Math, 6%
Calipers, 6%
Hand Tools, 5%
Safety Rules, 5%

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Production Forklift Operator
Production Forklift Operator vs Mill Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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