How to Become a Forklift Operator (No Experience Needed)

You don't need a school, a license or a degree. You need to be 18 and to be trained and evaluated by the company you drive for. Here is how people actually get in, what the job pays, and how to move up.

The short answer

Be 18 or older, then get hired somewhere that will train and evaluate you on its forklift. There are two common ways in: take a warehouse job at a company that trains its own operators, or do the classroom part of the training yourself first so you can apply for jobs that ask for it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says operators like these are typically trained on the job in less than a month.

What do you need to become a forklift operator?

Less than most people expect. The legal requirements fit in two lines, and the rest is up to the employer.

  • Be 18 or older for any job that is not on a farm. Federal child labor rules bar younger workers from operating forklifts (29 CFR 570.58). Details in our forklift age guide.
  • Be trained and evaluated before you drive. OSHA's rule, 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(1)(ii), makes the employer ensure this, and under (l)(6) the employer certifies it in writing.
  • No government license. Federal law has no forklift license. See do you need a license to drive a forklift?
  • No degree. BLS says "no formal educational credential is typically required," though some companies prefer a high school diploma (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).

Employers add their own checks on top, so ask the recruiter what the hiring steps are before you apply.

Do you need to go to forklift operator school?

No. There is no required school. BLS says material moving machine operators, the group forklift operators belong to, "typically are trained on the job in less than a month," and forklifts "may take only a few days to learn how to operate." The classroom part can be a lecture, a video, written material or an online course; OSHA's rule accepts all of them.

Classes do exist: in-person ones we surveyed in September 2026 ran 4 hours to a full day and $70 to $375. Whether to pay for one depends on whether an employer will train you for free, which our free forklift certification guide works through. If you're weighing an online course, read what online training covers and what it doesn't first.

How to become a forklift operator, step by step

  1. 1

    Pick your way in

    You can start one of three ways. Apply to warehouse jobs whose posts say "will train" or "forklift training provided." Apply to warehouse associate or material handler jobs and ask whether operators are promoted from them. Or sign up with a staffing agency: agencies employed 65,460 industrial truck operators in May 2025, according to BLS.

    The trade-off with agencies is pay. Their operators earned a median of $18.32 an hour, against $22.32 for all operators. A temp job can still get you trained and in the door.

  2. 2

    Learn the basics before you apply

    Take our free forklift practice test and read OSHA's free Powered Industrial Trucks eTool. If you have no employer yet and the jobs near you say "certified preferred," you can also finish the classroom part of certification on your own, online.

  3. 3

    Put it on your resume the right way

    Write what you actually have, for example "Forklift operator training, formal instruction under 29 CFR 1910.178, completed September 2026." Never write "OSHA certified": OSHA does not certify operators. Our forklift operator resume guide has examples.

  4. 4

    Pass the hands-on evaluation at your new job

    Every new operator needs one, trained or not. Writing about operator evaluations, OSHA said the evaluator would usually "observe the powered industrial truck operator during normal operations" and "ask pertinent questions" (OSHA interpretation, August 1, 2005). Practice the pre-shift check with our inspection checklist, and see what the evaluation looks like.

  5. 5

    Get cleared on more trucks

    Each new type of truck means training on it and a new evaluation, under 1910.178(l)(4)(ii)(D). Being cleared on a reach truck, an order picker or an electric pallet jack lets a supervisor use you in more of the building.

Want the classroom part done before you apply? Our course is $59, takes under an hour, runs in English or Spanish, and your certificate downloads the minute you pass. Your employer still does the evaluation.

Get Certified

Can you become a forklift operator with no experience?

Yes. Every operator starts with none, and the rule is built for it. While you learn, you may drive under the direct supervision of a qualified trainer, in a place where it does not endanger you or others, 1910.178(l)(2)(i).

Driven before but never certified? The FAQ below covers what to say. For how long the whole process takes, see how long it takes to get forklift certified.

How much do forklift operators make?

The national median was $22.32 an hour, or $46,420 a year, in May 2025. Where you work moves that number a lot:

Group Hourly Yearly
Bottom 10% of operators $17.71 or less $36,840 or less
Staffing agencies (median) $18.32 $38,100
All operators (median) $22.32 $46,420
Warehousing and storage (median) $23.16 $48,170
General merchandise retailers (median) $29.36 $61,060
Top 10% of operators $30.06 or more $62,520 or more

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, industrial truck and tractor operators (53-7051). The staffing row is the employment services industry.

BLS does not publish pay by whether someone arrived certified. See pay in your state on our forklift operator salary page.

Where are the forklift operator jobs?

Mostly in warehouses. Warehousing and storage employed 286,750 of the 774,420 industrial truck and tractor operators BLS counted in May 2025, about 37 percent. California, Texas, Georgia, Ohio and Pennsylvania together hold about 40 percent of all the jobs.

Openings keep coming even though the field is barely growing. BLS projects about 70,700 openings a year for material moving machine operators over 2025 to 2035, mostly to replace workers who move to other occupations or retire, with total employment growing 1 percent.

How do forklift operators move up?

Two ways. The first is range: get cleared on more types of truck, as in step 5. The second is industry. Operators earned a median of $18.32 an hour at staffing agencies and $29.36 at general merchandise retailers, so the employer you pick makes a big difference.

An experienced operator can also become the person who trains and evaluates new ones. OSHA's only test for that role is having "the knowledge, training, and experience" to train operators and judge their competence, 1910.178(l)(2)(iii). Our forklift trainer course is built for that step.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a driver's license to be a forklift operator?
Not under OSHA's forklift rule, which does not require a state driver's license. Some employers ask for one as company policy, especially if the truck crosses a public road, so check the job post.
Is the OSHA 10-hour course worth taking as well?
It can round out a thin resume, but it is not forklift training. OSHA says its 10 and 30 hour Outreach courses are voluntary, do not meet the training requirements of any OSHA standard, and are not a certification. Some employers or local rules do ask for one, so get it if the jobs you want list it.
Do temp agencies train forklift operators?
Many place forklift operators, and OSHA's guidance says the staffing agency is generally responsible for general forklift training while the company you are sent to is best placed to do site training and your evaluation. Ask each agency whether it trains, on which trucks, and whether there is any cost to you.
How long does it take to become a forklift operator?
BLS says material moving machine operators are typically trained on the job in less than a month, and that forklifts may take only a few days to learn. The classroom part can take under an hour online. After that, it depends on how quickly your employer trains and evaluates you on the truck.
I drove a forklift at my last job but was never certified. What do I say?
Say exactly that. List the forklift work as experience and do not call yourself certified. Your new employer has to evaluate you anyway, and the evaluator will see what you can do on the truck.

More: OSHA Outreach Training Program and OSHA guidance on training temporary forklift operators.

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