Tow motor operator vs lift truck operator

The differences between tow motor operators and lift truck 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 truck operator. Additionally, a lift truck operator has an average salary of $36,973, 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 truck operator are pallets, safety procedures, and load trailers.

Tow motor operator vs lift truck operator overview

	Tow Motor Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$29,544	$36,973
Hourly rate	$14.20	$17.78
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	72,291	103,337
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 truck operator salary

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

	Tow Motor Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Average salary	$29,544	$36,973
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $36,000	Between $29,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	-	Springfield, OR
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Nestlé
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between tow motor operator and lift truck operator education

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

	Tow Motor Operator	Lift Truck 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 truck operator demographics

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

	Tow Motor Operator	Lift Truck Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 91.6% Female, 8.4%	Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3%
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, 16.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.4% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between tow motor operator and lift truck 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 truck operator example responsibilities.

Certify on stand up/sit down forks, clamps, slip sheets and cherry picker
Used WMS system to adjust inventory, either in, out, or amounts.
Perform trailer inspections, loading and unloading inventory, RFT scanner experience, WMS.
Relocate pallets from receiving dock to desire location within warehouse.
Maintain accurate and timely documentation as is required by organization and OSHA.
Load and unload items from machines and dollies.

Tow motor operator vs lift truck 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 truck operator skills

Pallets, 18%
Safety Procedures, 11%
Load Trailers, 6%
AS400, 5%
Electric Pallet Jack, 5%
Forks, 4%

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Transportation Industry
Tow Motor Operator
Tow Motor Operator vs Lift Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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