Tow motor operator vs forklift operator

The differences between tow motor operators and 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 tow motor operator and a forklift operator. Additionally, a forklift operator has an average salary of $34,213, which is higher than the $29,544 average annual salary of a tow motor operator.

The top three skills for a tow motor operator include production lines, safety procedures and pallet jack. The most important skills for a forklift operator are pallets, basic math, and electric pallet jack.

Tow motor operator vs forklift operator overview

	Tow Motor Operator	Forklift Operator
Yearly salary	$29,544	$34,213
Hourly rate	$14.20	$16.45
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	72,291	213,020
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 59%	High School Diploma, 59%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Tow motor operator vs forklift operator salary

Tow motor operators and forklift operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Tow Motor Operator	Forklift Operator
Average salary	$29,544	$34,213
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $36,000	Between $27,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	DeWitt LLP Law Firm
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between tow motor operator and forklift operator education

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

	Tow Motor Operator	Forklift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 59%	High School Diploma, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Tow motor operator vs forklift operator demographics

Here are the differences between tow motor operators' and forklift operators' demographics:

	Tow Motor Operator	Forklift Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 91.6% Female, 8.4%	Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 1.8% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 16.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 2.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between tow motor operator and forklift operator duties and responsibilities

Tow motor operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Fabricate and assemble products using CNC machine by keying in programs numbers and also codes.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Load and unload items from machines and dollies.

Forklift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Position forks under, over, or around load pallets, boxes, products, and transports load to designate area.
Transport raw materials to storage or point of production base on FIFO.
Remove press parts from line and place into WIP locations by FIFO.
Perform safety checks on machines; and troubleshoot problems during machine operation.
Start working as an order selector picking orders and wrapping for shipment.

Tow motor operator vs forklift operator skills

Common tow motor operator skills

Production Lines, 25%
Safety Procedures, 12%
Pallet Jack, 9%
RF Scanner, 7%
Line Assembly, 5%
Transport Vehicles, 4%

Common forklift operator skills

Pallets, 18%
Basic Math, 6%
Electric Pallet Jack, 5%
OSHA, 5%
Safety Procedures, 5%
Load Trucks, 4%

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Transportation Industry
Tow Motor Operator
Tow Motor Operator vs Forklift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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