Hoist and Winch Operators

Median salary

$56,450

Average salary

$67,710

Employment

2,600

Projected growth

1.1% decline

Annual openings

300

Typical entry education

No formal educational credential

What Hoist and Winch Operators Do

Operate or tend hoists or winches to lift and pull loads using power-operated cable equipment.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 7.8%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Mechanicalimportance 3.1/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 2.9/5
English Languageimportance 2.6/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.6/5
Transportationimportance 2.6/5
Administration and Managementimportance 2.5/5
Engineering and Technologyimportance 2.5/5
Education and Trainingimportance 2.5/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable5.0/5
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.9/5
Health and Safety of Other Workers4.8/5
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.8/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals96% skill match
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic95% skill match
Motorboat Operators95% skill match
Tree Trimmers and Pruners95% skill match
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas95% skill match
Floor Sanders and Finishers95% skill match
Terrazzo Workers and Finishers94% skill match
Dredge Operators94% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Operations Monitoringimportance 3.6/5
Time Managementimportance 3.5/5
Operation and Controlimportance 3.4/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.3/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Instructingimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Dependability
Cautiousness
Attention to Detail
Stress Tolerance
Self-Control
Integrity
Cooperation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeLow
SocialLow
EnterprisingLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.