Forklift Operator job description
180 verified openings in Forklift Operator
Sit-down counterbalance trucks, stand-up trucks, and powered pallet jacks carry most of this work, moving pallets, cases, and raw material through warehouses, storage yards, plants, and construction sites. BLS files the job as industrial truck and tractor operators, counted 765,200 operators in 2025, and put the May 2025 median at $46,420, the lowest tenth at $36,840 and the highest tenth at $62,520. The forklift driver page here reports off that same line, since the survey does not separate the two titles.
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Most of a shift runs through levers and controls: positioning forks under, over, or around a loaded pallet, skid, or box, lifting it clear, and driving it between the dock, processing, and storage on gasoline or electric equipment. Loads get secured before they travel and checked for accuracy on the way, and plenty of material still moves by hand. O*NET also records weighing material and tagging it, upkeep such as recharging batteries or swapping a liquefied-gas tank, and tending automatic stacking machines.
Common Skills and Technologies
Control of the machine leads the skill list, and watching it comes second: gauges, load behavior, and the sound of something going wrong. Keeping the truck running and diagnosing it matter more on this job than reading does. A warehouse management system tells the operator which pallet goes where, and it is the one technology O*NET marks as in demand here; SAP shows up wherever the employer is large enough to run it.
Education, Training, and Career Path
O*NET Job Zone Two, some preparation needed: usually a high school diploma, then a few months to a year alongside experienced operators. Of those surveyed, 73 percent said the job takes a diploma or GED, 23 percent put the requirement lower than that, and the small remainder answered some college. No formal educational credential is typically required, and BLS says the simpler machines take only a few days to learn. The certificate that decides hiring comes from the employer. OSHA rule 1910.178 makes an employer train, evaluate, and certify every powered industrial truck operator, then re-evaluate that performance at least once every three years. Freight ships around the clock, so overnight shifts are ordinary.
Sources: O*NET 30.0, 53-7051.00 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators, https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/53-7051.00. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, 53-7051, https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Material Moving Machine Operators, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/material-moving-machine-operators.htm.