Tow motor operator vs lift operator

The differences between tow motor operators and lift 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 lift operator. Additionally, a lift operator has an average salary of $32,309, 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 lift operator are pallets, fork-lift, and electric pallet jack.

Tow motor operator vs lift operator overview

	Tow Motor Operator	Lift Operator
Yearly salary	$29,544	$32,309
Hourly rate	$14.20	$15.53
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	72,291	72,445
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 59%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Tow motor operator vs lift operator salary

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

	Tow Motor Operator	Lift Operator
Average salary	$29,544	$32,309
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $36,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Fremont, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	BD
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between tow motor operator and lift operator education

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

	Tow Motor Operator	Lift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 59%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Tow motor operator vs lift operator demographics

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

	Tow Motor Operator	Lift Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 91.6% Female, 8.4%	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%
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, 15.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 2.6% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between tow motor operator and lift 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.

Lift operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Use AS400 to take yarn out of inventory.
Load and unload ship cargo using wenches or other hoisting devices.
Check forklift for problems such as fluid levels, tires and forks.
Load and unload trucks with as sit down with slip sheet and double forks attachment practicing a safe environment.
Record inventory and reroute misplaced pallets at rack locations to the correct location

Tow motor operator vs lift 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 lift operator skills

Pallets, 17%
Fork-Lift, 14%
Electric Pallet Jack, 10%
Safety Rules, 9%
Power Saws, 4%
Load Trucks, 4%

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Transportation Industry
Tow Motor Operator
Tow Motor Operator vs Lift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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