Transportation & Logistics
Hoist and Winch Operators
Also called: Hoist Operator, Hoisting Operator, Hoistman, Service Operator
US median pay
$56,450
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+0.2%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
300
3,200 employed
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Operate or tend hoists or winches to lift and pull loads using power-operated cable equipment.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Move or reposition hoists, winches, loads and materials, manually or using equipment and machines such as trucks, cars, and hand trucks.
- Attach, fasten, and disconnect cables or lines to loads, materials, and equipment, using hand tools.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Operations Monitoring3.6/5
- Time Management3.5/5
- Operation and Control3.4/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.2/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.2/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.1/5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.0/5
- Instructing3.0/5
Knowledge
- Mechanical3.1/5
- English Language2.9/5
- Customer and Personal Service2.9/5
- Production and Processing2.8/5
- Transportation2.8/5
- Public Safety and Security2.8/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): No formal educational credential.
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.