My Colorado Journey
Back to pathway map
Advanced ManufacturingGreen JobOccupation aligned to O*NET green economy classifications.

Forklift Operator

Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.

Annual openings

1,038

Median wage

$50,570

Typical education

High school (GED)

Growth 2026–2032

+10%

Median wage source: Colorado BLS OEWS (2025).

Interactive walkthrough

Explore My Colorado Journey Careers

See where to compare pay, job demand, locations, skills, education, and training for a Colorado career.

Open in a new tab

Career requirements

What does this career require?

Explore education, required qualifications, voluntary credentials and employer preferences for this role. Check the details to see which apply.

Typical education

High school (GED)

Credential requirement

You will need to take and pass a short certification to drive a forklift.

Work experience

No previous work experience is required, though a clean driving record and driving heavy equipment experience is helpful.

Are you perfectly comfortable maneuvering large vehicles? Do you like spending time around cars and trucks? As a Forklift Operator, you’ll spend your days driving a forklift and transporting materials around the warehouse. You’ll need patience and focus, and a good sense of how your vehicle works.
Your job will include moving everything from raw materials to finished, packaged products. If your vehicle malfunctions, you’ll know what went wrong and the best way to fix it.
It is important to follow the correct safety procedures in order to keep everybody, including yourself, safe.

Is this work a fit?

What the work actually feels like

How people in this career tend to spend their time, the interests it draws on, and a look at a typical day.

Work style

The type of work can vary by job and employer.

  • With childrenNo
  • On a computerNo
  • OutdoorsMay vary
  • With your handsYes

Interests it draws on

  • Manufacturing

Automation exposure

High exposure

Many tasks are repeatable, so technology could reshape the day-to-day over time.

A typical day

  1. Inspect product load for accuracy and safely move it around the warehouse or facility to ensure timely and complete delivery.
  2. Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas.
  3. Manually or mechanically load or unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles.
  4. Move levers or controls that operate lifting devices, such as forklifts, lift beams with swivel-hooks, hoists, or elevating platforms, to load, unload, transport, or stack material.
  5. Position lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, or boxes and secure material or products for transport to designated areas.
  6. Weigh materials or products and record weight or other production data on tags or labels.
Feedback