How To Become A Transfer Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a transfer operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a transfer operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $17.95 an hour? That's $37,335 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 7% and produce 56,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreTransfer OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,335

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.6

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.46%

Asian 2.27%

Black or African American 11.34%

Hispanic or Latino 22.65%

Unknown 4.45%

White 57.82%

Gender

female 28.70%

male 71.30%

Age - 39.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39.5

Stress level

7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a transfer operator

Explore transfer operator education requirements

Most common transfer operator degrees

Bachelor's

36.9 %

High School Diploma

32.6 %

Associate

19.9 %

Start to develop specific transfer operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Rig	18.20%
DOT	17.80%
OSHA	12.54%
Hand Tools	11.52%
Safety Rules	8.91%

Complete relevant transfer operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New transfer operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a transfer operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real transfer operator resumes.

Research transfer operator duties and responsibilities

Ensure timely response in changes make by management.
Report any facts concerning vehicles maintenance, to management.
Serve as safety steward between company, union, and OSHA conducting monthly safety tours at plants.
Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.

Prepare your transfer operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your transfer operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a transfer operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable transfer operator resume templates

Build a professional transfer operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your transfer operator resume.