Explore by Career/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
- $52,310
- per year
- 10-year outlook
- -1.1%
- Declining
- Typical entry
- No formal educational credential
Key skills
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Operations Monitoring
- Time Management
- Active Listening
- Operation and Control
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
What they do
- 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.
- Start engines of hoists or winches and use levers and pedals to wind or unwind cable on drums.
- Observe equipment gauges and indicators and hand signals of other workers to verify load positions or depths.
- Operate compressed air, diesel, electric, gasoline, or steam-driven hoists or winches to control movement of cableways, cages, derricks, draglines, loaders, railcars, or skips.
- Move or reposition hoists, winches, loads and materials, manually or using equipment and machines such as trucks, cars, and hand trucks.
- Select loads or materials according to weight and size specifications.
- Signal and assist other workers loading or unloading materials.
- Attach, fasten, and disconnect cables or lines to loads, materials, and equipment, using hand tools.
- Apply hand or foot brakes and move levers to lock hoists or winches.
- Oil winch drums so that cables will wind smoothly.
Majors that lead here
No mapped majors yet.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections) and O*NET, used under CC BY 4.0.