Pile Driver Operators: Career Overview
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.
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What Do Pile Driver Operators Take On?
Typical responsibilities of pile driver operators span:
- Move hand and foot levers of hoisting equipment to position piling leads, hoist piling into leads, and position hammers over pilings.
- Move levers and turn valves to activate power hammers, or to raise and lower drophammers that drive piles to required depths.
- Drive pilings to provide support for buildings or other structures, using heavy equipment with a pile driver head.
- Conduct pre-operational checks on equipment to ensure proper functioning.
- Clean, lubricate, and refill equipment.
Skills and Knowledge
Top pile driver operators combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Pile Driver Operators Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Diesel Pile Hammer Operator
- Driving Inspector
- Driving Operator
- Hoisting Pile Driving Engineer
- Hydraulic Pile Hammer Operator
- Hydraulic Press-In Operator
- Nozzle Operator
- Pile Driver
How Many Pile Driver Operators Are There?
There are roughly 683,984 pile driver operators working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to decline by -2.7% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Pile Driver Operators Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $31,596 |
| Hourly median | $15.19 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $25,123 |
| 75th percentile | $38,069 |
| 90th percentile | $44,542 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $125,050 |
| Massachusetts | $113,360 |
| California | $105,950 |
| Washington | $101,260 |
| Pennsylvania | $91,160 |
| Alaska | $87,630 |
| Maryland | $77,990 |
| Texas | $66,070 |
| Louisiana | $58,980 |
| South Carolina | $55,960 |
| Florida | $54,750 |
| Virginia | $49,960 |
| Indiana | $49,330 |
| Georgia | $46,710 |
| North Carolina | $44,990 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for pile driver operators vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $113,753 | 3.6% | 0.53 |
| New England | $113,360 | 8.9% | 3.07 |
| Far Western US | $103,710 | 36.3% | 4.00 |
| Southwest | $66,070 | 10.9% | 0.98 |
| Southeast | $54,298 | 37.9% | 2.91 |
| Great Lakes | $49,330 | 2.4% | 1.01 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Pile Driver Operators
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $133,080 | 130 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $125,070 | 40 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $118,960 | 170 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $114,470 | 80 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $103,790 | 260 |
| Anchorage, AK | AK | $87,630 | 60 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | MD | $74,940 | |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | TX | $67,980 | 150 |
Which Industries Hire Pile Driver Operators
The largest employers of pile driver operators are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 2,890 | $71,760 |
Pile Driver Operators work in the following industries:
Software Pile Driver Operators Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for pile driver operators tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
- Health and Safety of Other Workers
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Education and Training
Entry-level pile driver operators positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Construction Laborers (Primary-Long)
- Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators (Primary-Short)
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (Primary-Short)
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers (Supplemental)
- Highway Maintenance Workers (Supplemental)
- Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators (Primary-Long)
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (Primary-Short)
- Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Aspiring pile driver operators often complete programs in:
Transportation and Materials Moving
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 47-2072.00 (Pile Driver Operators).
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