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The differences between truck operators and operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a truck operator, becoming an operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a truck operator has an average salary of $39,608, which is higher than the $37,928 average annual salary of an operator.
The top three skills for a truck operator include CDL, industrial cleaning and customer service. The most important skills for an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.
| Truck Operator | Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $39,608 | $37,928 |
| Hourly rate | $19.04 | $18.23 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 667,980 | 159,077 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Average age | 48 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Truck Operators are individuals making a living by driving trucks and heavy goods vehicles such as articulated trucks, semi-trailers, and tankers. They are responsible for administering goods, loading and unloading into the truck, assessing the goods conditions, scheduling transport operations, arranging transport documentations, and inspecting vehicle conditions before starting work. Other duties include checking tires, fuel, oil filters, and oil levels. Truck Operators also supervise delivery operations, vehicle cleaning, tire maintenance, and refueling.
Operators are skilled workers who are in charge of working on an industrial machine or a specific aspect of the manufacturing business. They are trained to operate machines, learning how to use them. They are also responsible for the maintenance and repair of the machine, and they should be able to troubleshoot problems and provide remedies to them. They must be knowledgeable about the different parts of the machine and how to mitigate any challenges that may arise. Operators should be alert, detail-oriented, and familiar with safety and health guidelines.
Truck operators and operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Truck Operator | Operator | |
| Average salary | $39,608 | $37,928 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $50,000 | Between $27,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Saint Paul, MN | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Mars | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Technology |
There are a few differences between a truck operator and an operator in terms of educational background:
| Truck Operator | Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between truck operators' and operators' demographics:
| Truck Operator | Operator | |
| Average age | 48 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8% | Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 3.9% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |