Dredge Operators

Median salary

$49,640

Average salary

$56,120

Employment

1,040

Projected growth

1.2% growth

Annual openings

100

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Dredge Operators Do

Operate dredge to remove sand, gravel, or other materials in order to excavate and maintain navigable channels in waterways.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 8%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Mechanicalimportance 4.1/5
English Languageimportance 3.4/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.2/5
Administration and Managementimportance 3.1/5
Production and Processingimportance 2.9/5
Mathematicsimportance 2.8/5
Education and Trainingimportance 2.6/5
Physicsimportance 2.5/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.9/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.7/5
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.5/5
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.4/5
Contact With Others4.3/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Motorboat Operators96% skill match
Gas Plant Operators95% skill match
Helpers--Production Workers95% skill match
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall95% skill match
Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers95% skill match
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers95% skill match
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas95% skill match
Sailors and Marine Oilers95% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Operation and Controlimportance 3.8/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 3.5/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
Troubleshootingimportance 2.9/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.8/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.8/5
Equipment Selectionimportance 2.8/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Other Software Used

Global positioning system GPS software
HYPACK DREDGEPACK
Programmable logic controller PLC software
Teledyne Odom Hydrographic ODOM eChart
Trimble HYDROpro
Web browser software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Dependability
Cautiousness
Attention to Detail
Stress Tolerance
Perseverance
Integrity
Self-Control

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeLow
EnterprisingLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.