Tugger operator vs lift operator

The differences between tugger 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 tugger operator and a lift operator. Additionally, a tugger operator has an average salary of $32,478, which is higher than the $32,309 average annual salary of a lift operator.

The top three skills for a tugger operator include tuggers, OSHA and warehouse environment. The most important skills for a lift operator are pallets, fork-lift, and electric pallet jack.

Tugger operator vs lift operator overview

	Tugger Operator	Lift Operator
Yearly salary	$32,478	$32,309
Hourly rate	$15.61	$15.53
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	42,294	72,445
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 65%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Tugger operator vs lift operator salary

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

	Tugger Operator	Lift Operator
Average salary	$32,478	$32,309
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $37,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Findlay, OH	Fremont, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	VisionCorp Rep	BD
Best paying industry	Automotive	Automotive

Differences between tugger operator and lift operator education

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

	Tugger Operator	Lift Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 65%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Tugger operator vs lift operator demographics

Here are the differences between tugger operators' and lift operators' demographics:

	Tugger Operator	Lift Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 77.3% Female, 22.7%	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 17.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 2.3% White, 60.7% 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 tugger operator and lift operator duties and responsibilities

Tugger operator example responsibilities.

Operate or tend hoists or winches to lift and pull loads using power-operate cable equipment.
Start engines of hoists or winches and used levers and pedals to wind or unwind cable on drums.
Pull dollies of materia safely to the line in a timely manner as to not shut down automotive industry line.
Deliver automotive parts to Toyota lineside
Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
Operate a tugger for storage and removal of car parts and supplies to be transport to the Mercedes-Benz plant.

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

Tugger operator vs lift operator skills

Common tugger operator skills

Tuggers, 34%
OSHA, 26%
Warehouse Environment, 10%
Honda, 5%
Assembly Line, 5%
RF Scanner, 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
Tugger Operator
Tugger Operator vs Lift Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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