Occupation salary profile

Pile Driver Operators

SOC 47-2072 BLS OEWS May 2025

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.

National median · BLS
$73,300
▲ +3.96% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$80,710
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
2,310
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Pile Driver Operators

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$48,790
25th$58,510
Median (50th)$73,300
75th$106,430
90th — top pay$124,600

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Pile Driver Operators

BLS projects employment of pile driver operators to decline 5.7% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%. About 200 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
2,300 → 2,200
-100 jobs
Projected change
-5.7%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
200
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
2.7% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-declining jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Pile Driver Operators

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Operation and Control4.1
  • Operations Monitoring4.0
  • Equipment Maintenance3.3
  • Monitoring3.3
  • Troubleshooting3.1
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Coordination3.0
  • Critical Thinking2.9
  • Quality Control Analysis2.9
  • Time Management2.9
Top knowledge areas
  • Building and Construction4.1
  • Mechanical3.6
  • Mathematics3.6
  • Transportation3.5
  • Engineering and Technology3.4
  • Public Safety and Security3.4
  • Design3.1
  • Production and Processing3.0
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelEmail softwareGlobal positioning system GPS softwareGRL Engineers Wave Equation Analysis Program GRLWEAPPile Dynamics Case Pile Wave Analysis Program CAPWAPPile Dynamics Pile Driving Analyzer PDA

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 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.

About the job

What pile driver operators do

  • 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.
Also called
Pile DriverPile Driver OperatorPile Driving Operator
More job titles for this occupation (13)
Diesel Pile Hammer OperatorDriving InspectorDriving OperatorHoisting Pile Driving EngineerHydraulic Pile Hammer OperatorHydraulic Press-In OperatorNozzle OperatorPile Driver EngineerPile Driving InspectorPile Driving LeadsmanPile Driving NozzlemanPile Driving TechnicianVibratory Pile Driver

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.