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Also called air hoist operator, air lift operator, boat hoist operator and cable operator.
$56,450
Median pay a year
2,600
People do this work
6
Resume lines ready for you
Pay and headcount are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lines are written from what the US Department of Labor records about this work.
An example
A Hoist and Winch Operator resume, filled in
Every line below comes from the same public record as the rest of this page. The greyed parts are the ones only you can answer.
Hoist and Winch Operator
Summary
Hoist and winch operator moving and controlling loads with power-operated cable equipment, using levers and pedals to manage speeds and observing gauges for safe operation
Experience
Hoist and Winch Operator
Where you worked
Month Year to Month Year
Moved levers and pedals to start, stop, and control hoist or winch speeds
Started engines of hoists or winches and wound or unwound cable on drums
Observed gauges and hand signals to check load positions or depths
Operated various hoists or winches to control movement of materials
Moved or repositioned hoists, winches, and loads using trucks and hand trucks
Selected loads based on weight and size specifications
Signaled and assisted other workers with loading and unloading materials
Skills
Core Skills
Operating moving or lifting equipment, Maintaining material moving equipment, Monitoring equipment gauges, Moving supplies, Connecting cables or lines, Driver's license, Selecting project materials
Hands-On Work
Loading materials, Climbing ladders or vehicles, Positioning material handling equipment
Education
High School Diploma Your school, Year
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What to put on a Hoist and Winch Operator resume
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Choose what fits, or say your own.
Moved levers to control speedsStarted engines of hoists and winchesObserved gauges and hand signalsOperated different types of hoistsRepositioned loads and materialsAttached and disconnected cables
becomes
On your resume
Started engines of hoists and winches to initiate operations and ensure proper functionality.
Operated different types of hoists to move and reposition loads safely
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Add how often you started engines for operations.
The line
Started engines of hoists and winches every shift to keep operations running smoothly
Add how often you started engines for operations.
Pick one that fits
Every shift to keep operations runningMultiple times daily for various tasks
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In your wordsAdd it
Adding it to the line…
Added to your resume
Show what improved because you operated the hoists.
The line
Operated different types of hoists to move and reposition loads safely
Show what improved because you operated the hoists.
Pick one that fits
Reduced risk of accidents during load movementImproved efficiency in material handlingEnhanced safety for team members on site
Or add your own.
In your wordsAdd it
Adding it to the line…
Added to your resume
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What it is made of
Skills for a Hoist and Winch Operator resume
What this work is made of. Rung offers these and keeps the ones you claim.
What are you good at?
Operating moving or lifting equipment
Maintaining material moving equipment
Monitoring equipment gauges
Selecting project materials
Loading materials
Moving supplies
Climbing ladders or vehicles
Connecting cables or lines
Positioning material handling equipment
The work itself
What a Hoist and Winch Operator does
The public record of what this job is, in one paragraph.
Operate or tend hoists or winches to lift and pull loads using power-operated cable equipment.
What it pays
How much does a Hoist and Winch Operator make?
Annual pay across the United States. The middle figure is the median: half earn less than that, and half earn more.
25th percentile
$42,690
Median
$56,450
75th percentile
$94,350
About 2,600 people do this work in the United States.
What it pays in each state
State
25th percentile
Median
75th percentile
FL
$28,980
$33,570
$54,270
GA
$33,890
$37,870
$46,310
HI
$107,100
$107,100
$127,010
IL
$118,210
$118,210
$118,210
IN
$38,840
$39,750
$45,070
MA
$61,420
$62,240
$95,370
MD
$87,750
$99,840
$99,840
MI
$35,410
$40,070
$46,060
MN
$66,860
$78,400
$78,400
MO
$47,180
$47,510
$47,520
NY
$43,780
$74,980
$94,220
OH
$41,470
$43,000
$43,490
OR
$50,520
$55,880
$68,890
PR
$21,890
$21,890
$22,220
TN
$32,100
$39,930
$48,240
VA
$29,550
$37,020
$45,970
WI
$35,900
$36,560
$41,170
Other names
Other names for this job
air hoist operator, air lift operator, boat hoist operator, cable operator, cable way operator, cage operator, chute operator, clutch operator, corner bead operator, cupola hoist operator, derrick operator, dump operator.
More names for this work
electric fork operator, gin pole operator, hoist operator, hoisting engine operator, hydraulic boom operator, industrial tugger operator, jammer operator, jump roll operator, lever operator, marine railway operator, marine service operator, pit hoist operator, pneumatic hoist operator, pole lift operator, scrap hoist operator, scraper loader operator, service operator, skip hoist operator, steam hoist operator, stiff leg operator, telescope operator, tugger operator, winch derrick operator, winch operator, yarder operator, boat loader, boat puller, bridge rigger, building rigger, cage tender, casing puller, cemetery vault installer, clean out driller, coal handler, coal trimmer, derrick hand, dry transfer man, dry transfer worker, foot tender, footman, hoisting engineer, hoistman, lathe spotter, loader engineer, log loader, material handler, ore trimmer, pack changer.
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This page is about the occupation Hoist and Winch Operators. What this job involves and what it is made of come from O*NET 30.3, the US Department of Labor's occupation database, refreshed July 2026; Rung writes those records into the plain sentences you see. Pay comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS release for 2025. Rung is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by either agency. How Rung handles accuracy is on the accuracy page, and the full data credits are on the credits page.