How much does a Hoist and Winch Operators make?

The median annual wage for Hoist and Winch Operators is $56,450 ($27 per hour). Pay ranges from about $35,640 at the 10th percentile to $118,210 at the 90th percentile.

What is the average salary for a Hoist and Winch Operators?

The average (mean) annual salary is $67,710, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.

Which state pays Hoist and Winch Operatorss the most?

Illinois has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $118,210.

Is Hoist and Winch Operators a growing occupation?

BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 2.6K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.

What does a Hoist and Winch Operators 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.; Move or reposition hoists, winches, loads and materials, manually or using equipment and machines such as trucks, cars, and hand trucks.; Signal and assist other workers loading or unloading materials..

Hoist and Winch Operators Salary

Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · 2.6K employed in the U.S.

Median annual

$56,450

Median hourly

$27

Average annual

$67,710

Typical range

$35,640–$118,210

Pay distribution

10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.

10th$35,640

25th$42,690

Median$56,450

75th$94,350

90th$118,210

What this role pays

The median annual salary for Hoist and Winch Operators is $56,450 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $27 an hour at a full-time schedule.

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

Most earn between $35,640 and $118,210 a year. There are roughly 2.6K people employed as hoist and winch operators in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.

Salary calculator

Convert your pay and see where it lands for Hoist and Winch Operators.

Pay amountPay period

Hours / weekWeeks / year

Hourly: $27.14
Daily: $217
Weekly: $1,086
Bi-weekly: $2,171
Monthly: $4,704
Annual: $56,450

$56,450 a year is around the 50th percentile for Hoist and Winch Operatorss. The median is $56,450.

Hoist and Winch Operators — U.S., May 2025
Percentile	Hourly	Annual
10th percentile	$17.10	$35,640
25th percentile	$20.50	$42,690
Median	$27.10	$56,450
75th percentile	$45.40	$94,350
90th percentile	$56.80	$118,210
Average (mean)	$32.50	$67,710
Employment	2,600 people

Key skills

Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Operations Monitoring
Time Management
Active Listening
Operation and Control
Complex Problem Solving
Judgment and Decision Making
Speaking
Social Perceptiveness

Highest-paying states

Median annual wage by state.

1Illinois$118,210
2Hawaii$107,100
3Maryland$99,840
4Minnesota$78,400
5New York$74,980
6Massachusetts$62,240
7Oregon$55,880
8Missouri$47,510
9Ohio$43,000
10Michigan$40,070
11Tennessee$39,930
12Indiana$39,750

Top-paying metro areas

Median annual wage by metro area.

1Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$118,210
2Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$99,840
3Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$78,400
4Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$74,840
5Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$64,390
6Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$47,810
7Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$46,310
8Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$35,410
9Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$29,120

Related job titles

Employers advertise Hoist and Winch Operators roles under these titles.

Related occupations

What a Hoist and Winch Operators does

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.
Move or reposition hoists, winches, loads and materials, manually or using equipment and machines such as trucks, cars, and hand trucks.
Signal and assist other workers loading or unloading materials.
Attach, fasten, and disconnect cables or lines to loads, materials, and equipment, using hand tools.
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.
Start engines of hoists or winches and use levers and pedals to wind or unwind cable on drums.
Select loads or materials according to weight and size specifications.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Hoist and Winch Operators make?: The median annual wage for Hoist and Winch Operators is $56,450 ($27 per hour). Pay ranges from about $35,640 at the 10th percentile to $118,210 at the 90th percentile.
What is the average salary for a Hoist and Winch Operators?: The average (mean) annual salary is $67,710, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
Which state pays Hoist and Winch Operatorss the most?: Illinois has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $118,210.
Is Hoist and Winch Operators a growing occupation?: BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 2.6K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
What does a Hoist and Winch Operators 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.; Move or reposition hoists, winches, loads and materials, manually or using equipment and machines such as trucks, cars, and hand trucks.; Signal and assist other workers loading or unloading materials..