Thrower vs fork truck operator

The differences between throwers and fork truck operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a thrower, becoming a fork truck operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a thrower has an average salary of $41,768, which is higher than the $32,272 average annual salary of a fork truck operator.

The top three skills for a thrower include safety procedures, trash truck and cold environment. The most important skills for a fork truck operator are pallets, safety procedures, and load trucks.

Thrower vs fork truck operator overview

	Thrower	Fork Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$41,768	$32,272
Hourly rate	$20.08	$15.52
Growth rate	6%	7%
Number of jobs	1,178	117,624
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 64%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	12	4

Thrower vs fork truck operator salary

Throwers and fork truck operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Thrower	Fork Truck Operator
Average salary	$41,768	$32,272
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $62,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Seneca Foods
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between thrower and fork truck operator education

There are a few differences between a thrower and a fork truck operator in terms of educational background:

	Thrower	Fork Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 64%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	General Studies	Business
Most common college	-	-

Thrower vs fork truck operator demographics

Here are the differences between throwers' and fork truck operators' demographics:

	Thrower	Fork Truck Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 84.5% Female, 15.5%	Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 3.1% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0%	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 1.9% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between thrower and fork truck operator duties and responsibilities

Thrower example responsibilities.

Load canoes and kayaks onto trailers.
Lift canoes and kayaks to put them away/get them out.
Clean work area stack dollies that weigh up to 60 pounds
Remove shingles, slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood and relate materials from roofs and construction sites.
Ensure fast/ productive pace of team by providing the correct amount of shingles in the exact spot, as needed.
Operate automated or semi hoisting devices-inspect trucks prior to beginning routes-operate equipment that compresses collect refuse

Fork truck operator example responsibilities.

Create and cataloge files for GMP library.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.

Thrower vs fork truck operator skills

Common thrower skills

Safety Procedures, 25%
Trash Truck, 22%
Cold Environment, 13%
Assembly Line, 11%
Unload Trucks, 9%
Customer Service, 8%

Common fork truck operator skills

Pallets, 19%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Load Trucks, 7%
Load Trailers, 6%
Pallet Jack, 6%
Assembly Line, 5%

Thrower vs. similar jobs

Thrower related careers

Thrower related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Transportation Industry
Thrower
Thrower vs Fork Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse transportation jobs