Pile Driver Operators

Median salary

$73,300

Average salary

$80,710

Employment

2,310

Projected growth

4.3% growth

Annual openings

300

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Pile Driver Operators Do

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.

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: 3%

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.

Building and Constructionimportance 4.1/5
Mechanicalimportance 3.6/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.6/5
Transportationimportance 3.5/5
Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.4/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.4/5
Designimportance 3.1/5
Production and Processingimportance 3.0/5

Work Environment

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

Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions5.0/5
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.8/5
Health and Safety of Other Workers4.7/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6/5

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.

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators97% skill match
Agricultural Equipment Operators97% skill match
Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons96% skill match
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic96% skill match
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators96% skill match
Logging Equipment Operators96% skill match
Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators96% skill match
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators96% 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 4.1/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 4.0/5
Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.3/5
Troubleshootingimportance 3.1/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Quality Control Analysisimportance 2.9/5
Time Managementimportance 2.9/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.8/5

Software & Technologies

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

Hot Technologies

Microsoft Excel

Other Software Used

Email software
GRL Engineers Wave Equation Analysis Program GRLWEAP
Global positioning system GPS software
Pile Dynamics Case Pile Wave Analysis Program CAPWAP
Pile Dynamics Pile Driving Analyzer PDA

Work Style

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

Dependability
Cautiousness
Attention to Detail
Stress Tolerance
Perseverance
Integrity
Achievement Orientation

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.