Unloader vs fork truck operator

The differences between unloaders and fork truck operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an unloader has an average salary of $32,885, which is higher than the $32,272 average annual salary of a fork truck operator.

The top three skills for an unloader include pallets, work ethic and customer service. The most important skills for a fork truck operator are pallets, safety procedures, and load trucks.

Unloader vs fork truck operator overview

	Unloader	Fork Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$32,885	$32,272
Hourly rate	$15.81	$15.52
Growth rate	6%	7%
Number of jobs	63,202	117,624
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 59%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	40	43
Years of experience	-	4

Unloader vs fork truck operator salary

Unloaders and fork truck operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Unloader	Fork Truck Operator
Average salary	$32,885	$32,272
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Meridian, ID	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Land O'Lakes	Seneca Foods
Best paying industry	Transportation	Finance

Differences between unloader and fork truck operator education

There are a few differences between an unloader and a fork truck operator in terms of educational background:

	Unloader	Fork Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 59%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Unloader vs fork truck operator demographics

Here are the differences between unloaders' and fork truck operators' demographics:

	Unloader	Fork Truck Operator
Average age	40	43
Gender ratio	Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7%	Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 5.3% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 1.9% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	5%	4%

Differences between unloader and fork truck operator duties and responsibilities

Unloader example responsibilities.

Prepare pallets by following prescribe stacking arrangement and properly tagging pallets.
Volunteer work for kohl's cares events.

Fork truck operator example responsibilities.

Create and cataloge files for GMP library.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.

Unloader vs fork truck operator skills

Common unloader skills

Pallets, 24%
Work Ethic, 18%
Customer Service, 10%
Electric Pallet Jack, 9%
Tractor Trailer, 6%
Safety Procedures, 4%

Common fork truck operator skills

Pallets, 19%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Load Trucks, 7%
Load Trailers, 6%
Pallet Jack, 6%
Assembly Line, 5%

Unloader vs. similar jobs

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Transportation Industry
Unloader
Unloader vs Fork Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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