Sander operator vs machine operator/forklift operator

The differences between sander operators and machine operator/forklift operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a machine operator/forklift operator has an average salary of $32,452, which is higher than the $32,099 average annual salary of a sander operator.

The top three skills for a sander operator include sand paper, safety procedures and frac. The most important skills for a machine operator/forklift operator are safety standards, drive forklift, and load trucks.

Sander operator vs machine operator/forklift operator overview

	Sander Operator	Machine Operator/Forklift Operator
Yearly salary	$32,099	$32,452
Hourly rate	$15.43	$15.60
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	45,391	120,073
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 60%	High School Diploma, 61%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	4

Sander operator vs machine operator/forklift operator salary

Sander operators and machine operator/forklift operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sander Operator	Machine Operator/Forklift Operator
Average salary	$32,099	$32,452
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $38,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Renton, WA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	TreeHouse Foods
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between sander operator and machine operator/forklift operator education

There are a few differences between a sander operator and a machine operator/forklift operator in terms of educational background:

	Sander Operator	Machine Operator/Forklift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 60%	High School Diploma, 61%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Sander operator vs machine operator/forklift operator demographics

Here are the differences between sander operators' and machine operator/forklift operators' demographics:

	Sander Operator	Machine Operator/Forklift Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4%	Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 6.6% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 16.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.3% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	5%	4%

Differences between sander operator and machine operator/forklift operator duties and responsibilities

Sander operator example responsibilities.

Experience following procedures and managing GMP documentation.
Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
Perform repair and preventive maintenance on machinery including cleaning, oiling and adjusting.

Machine operator/forklift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Measure position of sheet with cores for evenly run product.
Keep inventory of products being run on a daily basis.
Support operation of rotary die cutter equipment QA testing to follow prescribe guidelines.
Operate power shovels, scrapers, backhoes, loaders, bulldozer, dump truck, forklift.
Operate machinery to perform activities such as backfilling excavations, vibrating and breaking rock and concrete and making winter roads.

Sander operator vs machine operator/forklift operator skills

Common sander operator skills

Sand Paper, 52%
Safety Procedures, 11%
Frac, 11%
Rail Cars, 5%
CDL, 3%
End Loaders, 3%

Common machine operator/forklift operator skills

Safety Standards, 17%
Drive Forklift, 9%
Load Trucks, 8%
Machine Operation, 6%
CNC, 6%
Electric Pallet Jack, 6%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Sander Operator
Sander Operator vs Machine Operator/Forklift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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