Hoist and Winch Operators vs Sailors and Marine Oilers: $56K vs $52K Median Pay

Hoist and Winch Operators vs Sailors and Marine Oilers: what changes?

Consider Hoist and Winch Operators if you want to operate or tend hoists or winches to lift and pull loads using power-operated cable equipment. Consider Sailors and Marine Oilers if you would rather 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. Both list no formal educational credential; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Hoist and Winch Operators and Sailors and Marine Oilers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Hoist and Winch Operators

National median pay (2025): $56,450
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: 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.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 300

Know before you choose

BLS projects essentially flat employment (0.2%) through 2035. Annual openings mostly reflect replacement, not a rapidly expanding field.

See the full Hoist and Winch Operators brief

Sailors and Marine Oilers

National median pay (2025): $51,520
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 3,600

Know before you choose

The work can involve real occupational hazards. Training, protective equipment, and routine safety discipline matter every day.

See the full Sailors and Marine Oilers brief

How the national numbers differ

Sailors and Marine Oilers has the edge on annual openings

Sailors and Marine Oilers is at 3,600 annual openings, compared with 300 annual openings for Hoist and Winch Operators.

Sailors and Marine Oilers has the edge on projected growth

Sailors and Marine Oilers is at 3.2% projected growth, compared with 0.2% projected growth for Hoist and Winch Operators.

Hoist and Winch Operators has the edge on median pay

Hoist and Winch Operators is at $56,450, compared with $51,520 for Sailors and Marine Oilers.

33.1/ 100

Hoist and Winch Operators

49.4/ 100

Sailors and Marine Oilers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Hoist and Winch Operators vs Sailors and Marine Oilers

Dimension	Hoist and Winch Operators	Sailors and Marine Oilers
Median pay (2025)	$56,450	$51,520
Pay percentile	41.2 percentile	36 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	0.2%	3.2%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	300	3,600
2025 employment	3,200	33,000
How you qualify	No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

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Hoist and Winch Operators vs Sailors and Marine Oilers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Hoist and Winch Operators

Sailors and Marine Oilers

How the national numbers differ

Sailors and Marine Oilers has the edge on annual openings

Sailors and Marine Oilers has the edge on projected growth

Hoist and Winch Operators has the edge on median pay

Hoist and Winch Operators vs Sailors and Marine Oilers

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