Hoist and Winch Operators
Also called: Hoist Operator, Hoistman, Service Operator, Winch Derrick OperatorOperate or tend hoists or winches to lift and pull loads using power-operated cable equipment.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 2 of its 13 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 0.2% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 8.7% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Conveyor, dredge, and hoist and winch operators”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.0 hires for every 10 job openings in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, which employs about 24% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.9.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | $33,570 | $28,980 to $54,270 | 120 |
| Georgia | $37,870 | $33,890 to $46,310 | 90 |
| Hawaii | $107,100 | $107,100 to $127,010 | 120 |
| Illinois | $118,210 | $118,210 to $118,210 | 320 |
| Indiana | $39,750 | $38,840 to $45,070 | 120 |
| Maryland | $99,840 | $87,750 to $99,840 | 140 |
| Massachusetts | $62,240 | $61,420 to $95,370 | not published |
| Michigan | $40,070 | $35,410 to $46,060 | 50 |
| Minnesota | $78,400 | $66,860 to $78,400 | 60 |
| Missouri | $47,510 | $47,180 to $47,520 | 40 |
| New York | $74,980 | $43,780 to $94,220 | 110 |
| Ohio | $43,000 | $41,470 to $43,490 | not published |
| Oregon | $55,880 | $50,520 to $68,890 | 70 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,890 | $21,890 to $22,220 | 110 |
| Tennessee | $39,930 | $32,100 to $48,240 | 40 |
| Virginia | $37,020 | $29,550 to $45,970 | 40 |
| Washington | not published | not published | 240 |
| Wisconsin | $36,560 | $35,900 to $41,170 | 80 |
Nationally: $56,450. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 2 of its 13 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Observe equipment gauges and indicators and hand signals of other workers to verify load positions or depths. | Not published |
| Not much | Apply hand or foot brakes and move levers to lock hoists or winches. | Not published |
| Not much | Start engines of hoists or winches and use levers and pedals to wind or unwind cable on drums. | Not published |
| AI + software | Signal and assist other workers loading or unloading materials. | Not published |
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Move or reposition hoists, winches, loads and materials, manually or using equipment and machines such as trucks, cars, and hand trucks. | Not published |
See all 13 tasks
| AI + software | Select loads or materials according to weight and size specifications. | Not published |
| Not much | Tend auxiliary equipment, such as jacks, slings, cables, or stop blocks, to facilitate moving items or materials for further processing. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair, maintain, and adjust equipment, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Oil winch drums so that cables will wind smoothly. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate compressed air, diesel, electric, gasoline, or steam-driven hoists or winches to control movement of cableways, cages, derricks, draglines, loaders, railcars, or skips. | Not published |
| Not much | Attach, fasten, and disconnect cables or lines to loads, materials, and equipment, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Climb ladders to position and set up vehicle-mounted derricks. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 13 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 13 tasks fall under 10 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #38 Select materials or equipment for operations or projects
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operate lifting or moving equipment | |||
| Maintain vehicles in working condition | |||
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Connect components or supply lines to equipment or tools | |||
| Position tools or equipment | |||
| Monitor equipment operation | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies |
Show all 10 activities
| Climb equipment or structures | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for hoist and winch operators specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 1,752 moves out
- 1 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 38%
- 2 Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas Low +0.8% 5%
- 3 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 960 moves in
- 1 Roustabouts, Oil and Gas Low +3.6% 17%
- 2 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 7%
- 3 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 7%
- 4 Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers Low +0.8% 6%
- 5 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 6%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 14% less than high school
- 54% high school
- 21% some college
- 5% associate's
- 5% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Conveyor, dredge, and hoist and winch operators” · 292 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Conveyor, dredge, and hoist and winch operators”
1 program: Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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