$44,000Average
$70,00075th percentile
$97,500
Total cash compensation
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Hoist and Winch Operators is a professional role within the function in the Transportation and Material Moving job family.
Typical entry preparation: High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
Typical education: High School Diploma
- 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.
Top skills: Critical Thinking Operations Monitoring Monitoring Time Management Operation and Control Active Listening
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $62,610 to $56,450.
-9.8% over this periodMedians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
Related careers
Key skills for this role
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Core duties
- 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.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Hoist and Winch Operators make?
The median market pay for a Hoist and Winch Operators in the United States is about $70,000 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Hoist and Winch Operators?
Most Hoist and Winch Operators pay falls between about $44,000 (25th percentile) and $97,500 (75th percentile), with top earners above $122,500.
What does a Hoist and Winch Operators do?
Core responsibilities include: 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; and start engines of hoists or winches and use levers and pedals to wind or unwind cable on drums.
Is pay for Hoist and Winch Operators roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $62,610 in 2020 to $56,450 in 2025, a change of -9.8% in nominal dollars.
Hoist and Winch Operators pays 1% above the average across 53 roles in the Transportation and Material Moving job family (family average $69,000).
How much does a Hoist and Winch Operators make?
The average base salary for a Hoist and Winch Operators in the United States is $70,000 per year, or about $33.65 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $44,000 and $97,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Transportation and Material Moving roles?
The Transportation and Material Moving job family averages $69,000 across 53 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role?
WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
