Occupation · SOC 53-7041

Hoist and Winch Operators: pay and where the jobs are

What hoist and winch operators earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.

BLS May 2025 data · methodology

National pay, May 2025

$56,450 median annual wage

Mean (average) annual wage
$67,710
Median hourly wage
$27.14
Mean hourly wage
$32.55
Employment
2,600

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 53-7041.

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How much do hoist and winch operators make?

The median annual wage for hoist and winch operators was $56,450 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,640 and the highest-paid 10% more than $118,210. As an hourly rate, the median is $27.14. About 2,600 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Illinois ($118,210), Hawaii ($107,100) and Maryland ($99,840). Illinois also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.

Pay ladder

What each step of the pay range for hoist and winch operators looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.

Hoist and Winch Operators: pay at each percentile
StepAnnualHourlyMonthly grossMonthly after federal tax & FICA
10th percentile$35,640$17.13$2,970$2,568
25th percentile$42,690$20.53$3,558$3,040
Median$56,450$27.14$4,704$3,961
75th percentile$94,350$45.36$7,863$6,267
90th percentile$118,210$56.83$9,851$7,666

Hoist and Winch Operators: pay by state

17 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.

1

Illinois

$86,320 take-home in national prices

2

Maryland

$71,162 take-home in national prices

3

Hawaii

$70,440 take-home in national prices

Where a median hoist and winch operator paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.

Annual wages by state, May 2025, with after-tax and price-adjusted estimates
StateEmploymentMedian10th pct.90th pct.Median after tax*In national prices†
Illinois320$118,210$118,210$118,210$86,284$86,320
Hawaii120$107,100$80,990$127,940$77,449$70,440
Maryland140$99,840$79,550$99,840$74,691$71,162
Minnesota60$78,400$51,040$78,400$59,832$60,668
New York110$74,980$41,690$103,220$57,771$53,531
MassachusettsNot published$62,240$57,000$109,440$49,012$46,344
Oregon70$55,880$40,130$72,660$43,087$41,686
Missouri40$47,510$46,160$56,450$39,059$43,008
OhioNot published$43,000$38,050$43,890$35,992$38,795
Michigan50$40,070$32,010$56,290$32,924$34,219
Tennessee40$39,930$30,940$52,630$34,264$37,296
Indiana120$39,750$37,620$66,940$32,976$35,333
Georgia90$37,870$31,960$52,760$31,467$32,679
Virginia40$37,020$29,550$45,970$30,611$30,277
Wisconsin80$36,560$34,720$41,690$30,642$32,564
Florida120$33,570$28,070$74,130$29,153$28,191
Puerto Rico110$21,890$21,840$22,230——

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 53-7041. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).

Sources

  1. OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  2. OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.