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Waste transportation technician vs material handler/forklift operator

The differences between waste transportation technicians and material handler/forklift 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 material handler/forklift operator. Additionally, a waste transportation technician has an average salary of $47,634, which is higher than the $36,453 average annual salary of a material handler/forklift operator.

The top three skills for a waste transportation technician include DOT, medical waste and hazardous waste operations. The most important skills for a material handler/forklift operator are pallets, safety procedures, and electric pallet jack.

Waste transportation technician vs material handler/forklift operator overview

Waste Transportation TechnicianMaterial Handler/Forklift Operator
Yearly salary$47,634$36,453
Hourly rate$22.90$17.53
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs14,398168,379
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 36%High School Diploma, 59%
Average age4343
Years of experience44

Waste transportation technician vs material handler/forklift operator salary

Waste transportation technicians and material handler/forklift operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Waste Transportation TechnicianMaterial Handler/Forklift Operator
Average salary$47,634$36,453
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $80,000Between $29,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City-Lakeville, MN
Highest paying state-North Dakota
Best paying company-Nestlé
Best paying industry-Automotive

Differences between waste transportation technician and material handler/forklift operator education

There are a few differences between a waste transportation technician and a material handler/forklift operator in terms of educational background:

Waste Transportation TechnicianMaterial Handler/Forklift Operator
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 36%High School Diploma, 59%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Waste transportation technician vs material handler/forklift operator demographics

Here are the differences between waste transportation technicians' and material handler/forklift operators' demographics:

Waste Transportation TechnicianMaterial Handler/Forklift Operator
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 86.7% Female, 13.3%Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%
Race ratioBlack 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, 16.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between waste transportation technician and material handler/forklift 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.

Material handler/forklift operator example responsibilities.

  • Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
  • Train in all aspects of warehousing, shipping, receiving using WMS.
  • Receive parts from the manufacturers and scan parts into the inventory using warehouse management system (WMS).
  • Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
  • Determine require pallet count to meet the statistical receiving requirements.
  • Operate tools (hand truck, fork lift, dollies, hand jack), distribute materials to their designate departments.
  • Show more

Waste transportation technician vs material handler/forklift operator skills

Common waste transportation technician skills
  • DOT, 67%
  • Medical Waste, 24%
  • Hazardous Waste Operations, 9%
Common material handler/forklift operator skills
  • Pallets, 19%
  • Safety Procedures, 10%
  • Electric Pallet Jack, 10%
  • Forklift Operation, 7%
  • RF Scanner, 6%
  • Assembly Line, 4%

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