Production operator vs production forklift operator

The differences between production operators and production forklift operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a production operator has an average salary of $35,185, which is higher than the $34,322 average annual salary of a production forklift operator.

The top three skills for a production operator include basic math, math and quality checks. The most important skills for a production forklift operator are pallets, line production, and safety rules.

Production operator vs production forklift operator overview

	Production Operator	Production Forklift Operator
Yearly salary	$35,185	$34,322
Hourly rate	$16.92	$16.50
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	117,254	160,992
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 58%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	4

Production operator vs production forklift operator salary

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

	Production Operator	Production Forklift Operator
Average salary	$35,185	$34,322
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $44,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Bellevue, WA	Fargo, ND
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Alaska
Best paying company	BD	Darigold
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between production operator and production forklift operator education

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

	Production Operator	Production Forklift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 58%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Production operator vs production forklift operator demographics

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

	Production Operator	Production Forklift Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 67.7% Female, 32.3%	Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 7.8% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	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%
LGBT Percentage	5%	4%

Differences between production operator and production forklift operator duties and responsibilities

Production operator example responsibilities.

Experience following procedures and managing GMP documentation.
Operate stitching machine for all check bindery.
Break down freight onto production line, label/tot, Rf scan guns
Cut and inspect sheets, verify laser etching, and circuit test etched sheets.
Operate CNC machine, parts washer, and quality testing of parts prior to shipping.
Handle daily flow of paper work of production for company's records and for FDA records.

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

Production operator vs production forklift operator skills

Common production operator skills

Basic Math, 7%
Math, 6%
Quality Checks, 5%
Quality Standards, 4%
Hand Tools, 4%
GMP, 4%

Common production forklift operator skills

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

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Production Operator
Production Operator vs Production Forklift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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