Hoist and Winch Operators build operations monitoring, time management and operation and control skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (89%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | 89% | $57,430 | +2% | None |
| 2 | Riggers | 88% | $62,640 | +11% | None |
| 3 | Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 84% | $59,850 | +6% | None |
| 4 | Pile Driver Operators | 83% | $73,300 | +30% | None |
| 5 | Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | 81% | $46,960 | −17% | None |
| 6 | Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | 80% | $74,500 | +32% | None |
| 7 | Fallers | 78% | $52,100 | −8% | None |
| 8 | Roof Bolters, Mining | 78% | $78,540 | +39% | None |
| 9 | Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | 78% | $51,330 | −9% | None |
| 10 | Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas | 77% | $67,890 | +20% | None |
Compared with Hoist and Winch Operators, median $56,450. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as hoist and winch operators (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
89% skill match · $57,430 · +2% pay
Technology Design · Operation and Control · Installation
88% skill match · $62,640 · +11% pay
Installation · Technology Design · Operations Analysis
84% skill match · $59,850 · +6% pay
Technology Design · Operation and Control · Equipment Maintenance
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (89% skill match, median $57,430), Riggers (88% skill match, median $62,640) and Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (84% skill match, median $59,850), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 18 pay more than hoist and winch operators at the median. The biggest increases: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (+71%, $96,710), Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (+69%, $95,320) and Gas Plant Operators (+56%, $87,820).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.