Transfer car operator vs material handler/forklift operator

The differences between transfer car 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 transfer car 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 $36,029 average annual salary of a transfer car operator.

Transfer car operator vs material handler/forklift operator overview

	Transfer Car Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Yearly salary	$36,029	$36,453
Hourly rate	$17.32	$17.53
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	46,552	168,379
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 59%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Transfer car operator vs material handler/forklift operator salary

Transfer car operators and material handler/forklift operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Transfer Car Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Average salary	$36,029	$36,453
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $43,000	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 transfer car operator and material handler/forklift operator education

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

	Transfer Car Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 59%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	-	-

Transfer car operator vs material handler/forklift operator demographics

Here are the differences between transfer car operators' and material handler/forklift operators' demographics:

	Transfer Car Operator	Material Handler/Forklift Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5%	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 16.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 2.8% White, 58.3% 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 transfer car operator and material handler/forklift operator duties and responsibilities

Transfer car operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Take field readings to ensure the DCS and field gauges are accurate.

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.

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Transportation Industry
Transfer Car Operator
Transfer Car Operator vs Material Handler/Forklift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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