Occupation salary profile

Dredge Operators

SOC 53-7031 BLS OEWS May 2025

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

National median · BLS
$49,640
▲ +2.5% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$56,120
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
1,040
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Dredge 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$41,080
25th$46,430
Median (50th)$49,640
75th$62,070
90th — top pay$74,140

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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

Job outlook for Dredge Operators

BLS projects employment of dredge operators to grow 0.7% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 100 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
1,300 → 1,300
+0 jobs
Projected change
+0.7%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
100
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
19.3% 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-growing 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 Dredge 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 Control3.8
  • Operations Monitoring3.5
  • Coordination3.0
  • Critical Thinking3.0
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.0
  • Active Listening2.9
  • Monitoring2.9
  • Speaking2.9
  • Troubleshooting2.9
  • Complex Problem Solving2.8
Top knowledge areas
  • Mechanical4.1
  • English Language3.4
  • Public Safety and Security3.2
  • Administration and Management3.1
  • Production and Processing2.9
  • Mathematics2.8
  • Education and Training2.6
  • Physics2.5
Software and technology used
Global positioning system GPS softwareHYPACK DREDGEPACKProgrammable logic controller PLC softwareTeledyne Odom Hydrographic ODOM eChartTrimble HYDROproWeb browser software

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 dredge operators do

  • Move levers to position dredges for excavation, to engage hydraulic pumps, to raise and lower suction booms, and to control rotation of cutterheads.
  • Start and stop engines to operate equipment.
  • Start power winches that draw in or let out cables to change positions of dredges, or pull in and let out cables manually.
  • Pump water to clear machinery pipelines.
  • Lower anchor poles to verify depths of excavations, using winches, or scan depth gauges to determine depths of excavations.
  • Direct or assist workers placing shore anchors and cables, laying additional pipes from dredges to shore, and pumping water from pontoons.
Also called
Dredge OperatorDredger
More job titles for this occupation (9)
Dredge Boat EngineerDredge DeckhandDredge EngineerDredge HandDredge Lever OperatorDredge MateDredge WorkerDredgemasterHydraulic Leverman

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.