Waste transportation technician vs fork truck operator

The differences between waste transportation technicians and fork truck 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 waste transportation technician and a fork truck operator. Additionally, a waste transportation technician has an average salary of $47,634, which is higher than the $32,272 average annual salary of a fork truck operator.

The top three skills for a waste transportation technician include DOT, medical waste and hazardous waste operations. The most important skills for a fork truck operator are pallets, safety procedures, and load trucks.

Waste transportation technician vs fork truck operator overview

	Waste Transportation Technician	Fork Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$47,634	$32,272
Hourly rate	$22.90	$15.52
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	14,398	117,624
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Waste transportation technician vs fork truck operator salary

Waste transportation technicians and fork truck operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Waste Transportation Technician	Fork Truck Operator
Average salary	$47,634	$32,272
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $80,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Seneca Foods
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between waste transportation technician and fork truck operator education

There are a few differences between a waste transportation technician and a fork truck operator in terms of educational background:

	Waste Transportation Technician	Fork Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Waste transportation technician vs fork truck operator demographics

Here are the differences between waste transportation technicians' and fork truck operators' demographics:

	Waste Transportation Technician	Fork Truck Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3%	Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 20.3% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 23.2% Asian, 1.8% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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	4%	4%

Differences between waste transportation technician and fork truck operator duties and responsibilities

Waste transportation technician example responsibilities.

Skil in reading and measuring cardiac rhythm strips, blood glucose , 12 leads EKG.
Prepare to independently calm patients waking from anesthesia during transportation and to assist medical professionals during any number of medical emergencies.
Work independently, using judgment and discretion in making decisions that directly impact facility compliance.

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.

Waste transportation technician vs fork truck operator skills

Common waste transportation technician skills

DOT, 67%
Medical Waste, 24%
Hazardous Waste Operations, 9%

Common fork truck operator skills

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

Waste Transportation Technician vs. similar jobs

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Transportation Industry
Waste Transportation Technician
Waste Transportation Technician vs Fork Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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