Transportation and material moving
Hoist and winch operators
Operate or tend hoists or winches to lift and pull loads using power-operated cable equipment.
Median pay
$56,450
Growth to 2035
0%
little or no change
Openings a year
300
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Hoist and winch operators
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Hoist and winch operators: 46% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Signal and assist other workers loading or unloading materials.
- Observe equipment gauges and indicators and hand signals of other workers to verify load positions or depths.
- Start engines of hoists or winches and use levers and pedals to wind or unwind cable on drums.
- Apply hand or foot brakes and move levers to lock hoists or winches.
- Repair, maintain, and adjust equipment, using hand tools.
- Tend auxiliary equipment, such as jacks, slings, cables, or stop blocks, to facilitate moving items or materials for further processing.
- Move levers, pedals, and throttles to stop, start, and regulate speeds of hoist or winch drums in response to hand, bell, buzzer, telephone, loud-speaker, or whistle signals, or by observing dial indicators or cable marks.
- Select loads or materials according to weight and size specifications.
Also called: Hoist Operator · Hoisting Operator · Hoistman · Service Operator · Winch Derrick Operator · Winchman
Outlook and AI
Hoist and winch operators held 3,200 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 3,200 by 2035 (0%, little or no change; all jobs: +3.5%).
Capital/labor substitution - share decreases as the expansion of automated lifting systems eliminates some of the tasks previously performed by hoist and winch operators.
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