Dredge Operators — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$49,640
United States, 2025
Employment
1,040
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Operate dredge to remove sand, gravel, or other materials in order to excavate and maintain navigable channels in waterways.
- O*NET code
- 53-7031.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
Typical tasks
- 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$41,080
25th percentile
$46,430
75th percentile
$62,070
90th percentile
$74,140
Most important skills
- Operation and Control3.8
- Operations Monitoring3.5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Active Listening2.9
- Speaking2.9
- Troubleshooting2.9
- Monitoring2.9
- Complex Problem Solving2.8
- Social Perceptiveness2.8
- Time Management2.8
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 5 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
5
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.5 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Operation and Control | 3.8 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 | 2.6 | Not selected | 2.6 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $46,420
Compare with Dredge OperatorsSupplemental
National median $61,770
Compare with Dredge OperatorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston, TX | $72,960 | — | 2025 |
| TX | $65,580 | — | 2025 |
| NJ | $63,810 | 30 | 2025 |
| IA | $57,990 | 60 | 2025 |
| WI | $54,310 | — | 2025 |
| OH | $53,310 | 40 | 2025 |
| FL | $52,800 | 40 | 2025 |
| AL | $50,030 | 50 | 2025 |
| New Orleans, LA | $49,390 | — | 2025 |
| Kansas City, MO | $48,980 | 40 | 2025 |
| LA | $48,590 | — | 2025 |
| NE | $45,290 | 30 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Dredge Operators to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.