Hoist and Winch Operators
Low24.71%
Salary Range
Low (10th %)$33,760
Median$55,950
High (90th %)$111,470
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Operate or tend hoists or winches to lift and pull loads using power-operated cable equipment.
The occupation "Hoist and Winch Operators" has an automation risk of 24.7%, placing it below the average risk for many manual occupations. The base risk for this field is 25.0%, indicating that current technologies can potentially automate about a quarter of the job’s core functions. This relatively modest risk reflects the fact that while some routine aspects of the work are highly susceptible to automation, significant portions remain dependent on human oversight and adaptability. Advances in sensors and robotics have enabled machines to take over repetitive or cue-based activities; however, the nuanced environmental requirements and the need for rapid judgment still require human involvement. As a result, automation can only partially replace workers in this occupation. The most automatable tasks for hoist and winch operators include operating the machinery through the use of levers, pedals, and throttles in response to signals or by watching indicators, starting engines and controlling cable movement, as well as monitoring equipment gauges or hand signals to confirm load positions. These actions follow explicit patterns and rules, making them suitable for robotic systems and automated control panels that can receive and interpret standardized signals. The integration of automation is further facilitated by repetitive operational procedures and the use of clear, observable indicators that machines can process with sensors and computer vision. However, the most resistant tasks highlight the enduring importance of human expertise and physical dexterity. Tasks such as tending auxiliary equipment, repairing and maintaining equipment with hand tools, and climbing ladders to set up vehicle-mounted derricks demand a combination of adaptability, troubleshooting, and physical mobility that is difficult to replicate with machines. The primary bottleneck skill is originality, rated at 2.5% and 2.1% for related tasks, which reflects the occupation’s reliance on problem-solving and creative adaptation to unexpected scenarios. These skills act as a significant barrier to full automation, ensuring that human operators continue to play a vital role, especially in complex or unpredictable environments.
Filter by Automatable Status
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.
Automatable
Start engines of hoists or winches and use levers and pedals to wind or unwind cable on drums.
Partially Automatable
Observe equipment gauges and indicators and hand signals of other workers to verify load positions or depths.
Partially Automatable
Operate compressed air, diesel, electric, gasoline, or steam-driven hoists or winches to control movement of cableways, cages, derricks, draglines, loaders, railcars, or skips.
Non-Automatable
Move or reposition hoists, winches, loads and materials, manually or using equipment and machines such as trucks, cars, and hand trucks.
Non-Automatable
Select loads or materials according to weight and size specifications.
Automatable
Signal and assist other workers loading or unloading materials.
Non-Automatable
Attach, fasten, and disconnect cables or lines to loads, materials, and equipment, using hand tools.
Non-Automatable
Apply hand or foot brakes and move levers to lock hoists or winches.
Non-Automatable
Oil winch drums so that cables will wind smoothly.
Non-Automatable
Repair, maintain, and adjust equipment, using hand tools.
Non-Automatable
Tend auxiliary equipment, such as jacks, slings, cables, or stop blocks, to facilitate moving items or materials for further processing.
Partially Automatable
Climb ladders to position and set up vehicle-mounted derricks.
Non-Automatable
Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningService OrientationOperations MonitoringEquipment MaintenanceJudgment and Decision MakingManagement of Material ResourcesWritingSpeakingMathematicsScienceCritical ThinkingActive LearningLearning StrategiesMonitoringSocial PerceptivenessCoordinationPersuasionNegotiationInstructingComplex Problem SolvingOperations AnalysisTechnology DesignEquipment SelectionInstallationProgrammingOperation and ControlTroubleshootingRepairingQuality Control AnalysisSystems AnalysisSystems EvaluationTime ManagementManagement of Financial ResourcesManagement of Personnel Resources
Arm-Hand SteadinessAuditory AttentionCategory FlexibilityControl PrecisionDeductive ReasoningDepth PerceptionDynamic FlexibilityDynamic StrengthExplosive StrengthExtent FlexibilityFar VisionFinger DexterityFlexibility of ClosureFluency of IdeasGlare SensitivityGross Body CoordinationGross Body EquilibriumHearing SensitivityInductive ReasoningInformation OrderingManual DexterityMathematical ReasoningMemorizationMultilimb CoordinationNear VisionNight VisionNumber FacilityOral ComprehensionOral ExpressionOriginalityPerceptual SpeedPeripheral VisionProblem SensitivityRate ControlReaction TimeResponse OrientationSelective AttentionSound LocalizationSpatial OrientationSpeech ClaritySpeech RecognitionSpeed of ClosureSpeed of Limb MovementStaminaStatic StrengthTime SharingTrunk StrengthVisual Color DiscriminationVisualizationWrist-Finger SpeedWritten ComprehensionWritten Expression
Administration and ManagementAdministrativeEconomics and AccountingSales and MarketingCustomer and Personal ServicePersonnel and Human ResourcesProduction and ProcessingFood ProductionComputers and ElectronicsEngineering and TechnologyDesignBuilding and ConstructionMechanicalMathematicsPhysicsChemistryBiologyPsychologySociology and AnthropologyGeographyMedicine and DentistryEducation and TrainingPhilosophy and TheologyPublic Safety and SecurityLaw and GovernmentTelecommunicationsCommunications and MediaTransportationForeign LanguageEnglish LanguageFine ArtsTherapy and CounselingHistory and Archeology
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsProcessing InformationIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsGetting InformationJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsThinking CreativelyUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesScheduling Work and ActivitiesOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkPerforming General Physical ActivitiesHandling and Moving ObjectsControlling Machines and ProcessesOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentWorking with ComputersRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentDocumenting/Recording InformationDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and EquipmentInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersRepairing and Maintaining Mechanical EquipmentCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsAssisting and Caring for OthersSelling or Influencing OthersResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersDeveloping and Building TeamsTraining and Teaching OthersGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesCoaching and Developing OthersProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersPerforming Administrative ActivitiesStaffing Organizational UnitsMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesAnalyzing Data or InformationCommunicating with People Outside the Organization
Construction Laborers
Low21.08%
Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. May operate hand and power tools of all types: air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers, small mechanical hoists, surveying and measuring equipment, and a variety of other equipment and instruments. May clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, and clean up rubble, debris, and other waste materials. May assist other craft workers.
Pile Driver Operators
Low24.77%
Operate pile drivers mounted on skids, barges, crawler treads, or locomotive cranes to drive pilings for retaining walls, bulkheads, and foundations of structures such as buildings, bridges, and piers.
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Medium39.01%
Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties.
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
Medium34.02%
Operate or tend machinery at surface mining site, equipped with scoops, shovels, or buckets to excavate and load loose materials.
Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining
Medium39.66%
Operate underground loading or moving machine to load or move coal, ore, or rock using shuttle or mine car or conveyors. Equipment may include power shovels, hoisting engines equipped with cable-drawn scraper or scoop, or machines equipped with gathering arms and conveyor.
Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
Low17.13%
Assemble or repair oil field equipment using hand and power tools. Perform other tasks as needed.
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines
Medium41.90%
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul mobile mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic equipment, such as cranes, bulldozers, graders, and conveyors, used in construction, logging, and mining.
Industrial Machinery Mechanics
Medium49.31%
Repair, install, adjust, or maintain industrial production and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution systems. May also install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to plans.
Maintenance Workers, Machinery
Low32.98%
Lubricate machinery, change parts, or perform other routine machinery maintenance.
Millwrights
Low12.88%
Install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to layout plans, blueprints, or other drawings.
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
Low15.02%
Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.
Riggers
Low19.42%
Set up or repair rigging for construction projects, manufacturing plants, logging yards, ships and shipyards, or for the entertainment industry.
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Medium35.75%
Set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock.
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
Medium44.55%
Set up, operate, or tend woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, and wood nailing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment.
Conveyor Operators and Tenders
Medium44.52%
Control or tend conveyors or conveyor systems that move materials or products to and from stockpiles, processing stations, departments, or vehicles. May control speed and routing of materials or products.
Crane and Tower Operators
Medium38.20%
Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.
Dredge Operators
Medium53.66%
Operate dredge to remove sand, gravel, or other materials in order to excavate and maintain navigable channels in waterways.
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
Medium46.81%
Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Medium36.17%
Manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor. Includes all manual laborers not elsewhere classified.
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
Medium44.23%
Load and unload chemicals and bulk solids, such as coal, sand, and grain, into or from tank cars, trucks, or ships, using material moving equipment. May perform a variety of other tasks relating to shipment of products. May gauge or sample shipping tanks and test them for leaks.
Tree Trimmers and Pruners
Low12.36%
Using sophisticated climbing and rigging techniques, cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities, or to improve appearance, health, and value of tree. Prune or treat trees or shrubs using handsaws, hand pruners, clippers, and power pruners. Works off the ground in the tree canopy and may use truck-mounted lifts.
Amusement and Recreation Attendants
Medium56.78%
Perform a variety of attending duties at amusement or recreation facility. May schedule use of recreation facilities, maintain and provide equipment to participants of sporting events or recreational pursuits, or operate amusement concessions and rides.
Fishing and Hunting Workers
Low26.38%
Hunt, trap, catch, or gather wild animals or aquatic animals and plants. May use nets, traps, or other equipment. May haul catch onto ship or other vessel.
Fallers
Low19.26%
Use axes or chainsaws to fell trees using knowledge of tree characteristics and cutting techniques to control direction of fall and minimize tree damage.
Logging Equipment Operators
Medium49.47%
Drive logging tractor or wheeled vehicle equipped with one or more accessories, such as bulldozer blade, frontal shear, grapple, logging arch, cable winches, hoisting rack, or crane boom, to fell tree; to skid, load, unload, or stack logs; or to pull stumps or clear brush. Includes operating stand-alone logging machines, such as log chippers.
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
Low27.26%
Operate equipment used for applying concrete, asphalt, or other materials to road beds, parking lots, or airport runways and taxiways or for tamping gravel, dirt, or other materials. Includes concrete and asphalt paving machine operators, form tampers, tamping machine operators, and stone spreader operators.
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
Low23.42%
Assemble, install, repair, or maintain electric or hydraulic freight or passenger elevators, escalators, or dumbwaiters.
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Low20.92%
Lay, repair, and maintain track for standard or narrow-gauge railroad equipment used in regular railroad service or in plant yards, quarries, sand and gravel pits, and mines. Includes ballast cleaning machine operators and railroad bed tamping machine operators.
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas
Low26.38%
Rig derrick equipment and operate pumps to circulate mud or fluid through drill hole.
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
Low27.15%
Set up or operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas, or remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration.
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
Medium38.98%
Operate equipment to increase oil flow from producing wells or to remove stuck pipe, casing, tools, or other obstructions from drilling wells. Includes fishing-tool technicians.
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
Medium37.50%
Operate a variety of drills such as rotary, churn, and pneumatic to tap subsurface water and salt deposits, to remove core samples during mineral exploration or soil testing, and to facilitate the use of explosives in mining or construction. Includes horizontal and earth boring machine operators.
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
Low26.46%
Place and detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove, or displace earth, rock, or other materials. May perform specialized handling, storage, and accounting procedures.
Continuous Mining Machine Operators
Low31.32%
Operate self-propelled mining machines that rip coal, metal and nonmetal ores, rock, stone, or sand from the mine face and load it onto conveyors, shuttle cars, or trucks in a continuous operation.
Roof Bolters, Mining
Low17.67%
Operate machinery to install roof support bolts in underground mine.
Helpers--Extraction Workers
Low24.71%
Help extraction craft workers, such as earth drillers, blasters and explosives workers, derrick operators, and mining machine operators, by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include supplying equipment or cleaning work area.
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
Low26.56%
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul buses and trucks, or maintain and repair any type of diesel engines. Includes mechanics working primarily with automobile or marine diesel engines.
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
Low19.50%
Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
Commercial Divers
Low26.77%
Work below surface of water, using surface-supplied air or scuba equipment to inspect, repair, remove, or install equipment and structures. May use a variety of power and hand tools, such as drills, sledgehammers, torches, and welding equipment. May conduct tests or experiments, rig explosives, or photograph structures or marine life.
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Medium46.13%
Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). May be required to unload truck. Requires commercial drivers' license. Includes tow truck drivers.
Locomotive Engineers
Medium54.80%
Drive electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas-turbine-electric locomotives to transport passengers or freight. Interpret train orders, electronic or manual signals, and railroad rules and regulations.
Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
Medium40.89%
Drive switching or other locomotive or dinkey engines within railroad yard, industrial plant, quarry, construction project, or similar location.
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
Medium40.83%
Operate or monitor railroad track switches or locomotive instruments. May couple or uncouple rolling stock to make up or break up trains. Watch for and relay traffic signals. May inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and hand brakes. May watch for dragging equipment or obstacles on rights-of-way.
Sailors and Marine Oilers
Low31.77%
Stand watch to look for obstructions in path of vessel, measure water depth, turn wheel on bridge, or use emergency equipment as directed by captain, mate, or pilot. Break out, rig, overhaul, and store cargo-handling gear, stationary rigging, and running gear. Perform a variety of maintenance tasks to preserve the painted surface of the ship and to maintain line and ship equipment. Must hold government-issued certification and tankerman certification when working aboard liquid-carrying vessels. Includes able seamen and ordinary seamen.
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels
Medium46.86%
Command or supervise operations of ships and water vessels, such as tugboats and ferryboats. Required to hold license issued by U.S. Coast Guard.
Motorboat Operators
Medium33.94%
Operate small motor-driven boats. May assist in navigational activities.
Bridge and Lock Tenders
Medium54.95%
Operate and tend bridges, canal locks, and lighthouses to permit marine passage on inland waterways, near shores, and at danger points in waterway passages. May supervise such operations. Includes drawbridge operators, lock operators, and slip bridge operators.
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
Medium40.81%
Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck. May drive truck.