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The differences between warehouse machine operators and warehouse technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a warehouse technician has an average salary of $34,985, which is higher than the $33,796 average annual salary of a warehouse machine operator.
The top three skills for a warehouse machine operator include basic math, safety regulations and electric pallet jack. The most important skills for a warehouse technician are customer service, pallets, and customer orders.
| Warehouse Machine Operator | Warehouse Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $33,796 | $34,985 |
| Hourly rate | $16.25 | $16.82 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 229,051 | 231,431 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 56% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Average age | 43 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
Warehouse machine operators perform various tasks for their employers. These include setting up, operating, monitoring, and troubleshooting machinery, inspecting parts for specifications and any potential damage, and reading and interpreting diagrams and blueprints to position and secure the machines. They are expected to communicate with other team members and provide support for continuous production. Most employers are looking to hire someone with knowledge of production and safety procedures, previous experience as a machine operator, and analytical skills.
A warehouse technician is responsible for monitoring the incoming and outgoing goods and services in the warehouse or distribution centers. Warehouse technicians verify shipment details, assist with packaging items, move merchandise to storage areas, inspect the quality of items for release, and escalate defective products for immediate replacement. They also operate various warehouse equipment and machinery, conduct maintenance repairs, and loading and unloading items from the delivery trucks. A warehouse technician must have excellent time-management and organizational skills, especially on processing orders and creating reports for inventory receipts.
Warehouse machine operators and warehouse technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Warehouse Machine Operator | Warehouse Technician | |
| Average salary | $33,796 | $34,985 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $41,000 | Between $28,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fridley, MN | Kent, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Freeport-McMoRan |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a warehouse machine operator and a warehouse technician in terms of educational background:
| Warehouse Machine Operator | Warehouse Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 56% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between warehouse machine operators' and warehouse technicians' demographics:
| Warehouse Machine Operator | Warehouse Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.3% Female, 14.7% | Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 15.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 2.7% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 6.5% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 6% |