Second floor operator vs material handler/forklift operator

The differences between second floor operators and material handler/forklift 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 second floor operator and a material handler/forklift operator. Additionally, a material handler/forklift operator has an average salary of $36,453, which is higher than the $32,919 average annual salary of a second floor operator.

The top three skills for a second floor operator include safety rules, safety procedures and machine operators. The most important skills for a material handler/forklift operator are pallets, safety procedures, and electric pallet jack.

Second floor operator vs material handler/forklift operator overview

	Second Floor Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Yearly salary	$32,919	$36,453
Hourly rate	$15.83	$17.53
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	73,359	168,379
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 59%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Second floor operator vs material handler/forklift operator salary

Second floor operators and material handler/forklift operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Second Floor Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Average salary	$32,919	$36,453
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	Between $29,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	-	Lakeville, MN
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	Nestlé
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between second floor operator and material handler/forklift operator education

There are a few differences between a second floor operator and a material handler/forklift operator in terms of educational background:

	Second Floor Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Second floor operator vs material handler/forklift operator demographics

Here are the differences between second floor operators' and material handler/forklift operators' demographics:

	Second Floor Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 81.5% Female, 18.5%	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 15.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.3% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 16.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between second floor operator and material handler/forklift operator duties and responsibilities

Second floor operator example responsibilities.

Exhibit leadership skills by managing co-worker assignments while simultaneously monitoring the skate floor
Operate CNC lathes and millers.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Preform quality control check at beginning and during operation of all equipment to ensure continuing overall quality.

Material handler/forklift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Train in all aspects of warehousing, shipping, receiving using WMS.
Receive parts from the manufacturers and scan parts into the inventory using warehouse management system (WMS).
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Determine require pallet count to meet the statistical receiving requirements.
Operate tools (hand truck, fork lift, dollies, hand jack), distribute materials to their designate departments.

Second floor operator vs material handler/forklift operator skills

Common second floor operator skills

Safety Rules, 36%
Safety Procedures, 24%
Machine Operators, 17%
Safety Standards, 9%
Production Schedules, 4%
Control Room, 2%

Common material handler/forklift operator skills

Pallets, 19%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Electric Pallet Jack, 10%
Forklift Operation, 7%
RF Scanner, 6%
Assembly Line, 4%

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Transportation Industry
Second Floor Operator
Second Floor Operator vs Material Handler/Forklift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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