Careers / Pile Driver Operators
Pile Driver 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
$73,300
United States, 2025
Employment
2,310
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 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.
- O*NET code
- 47-2072.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Typical tasks
- 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$48,790
25th percentile
$58,510
75th percentile
$106,430
90th percentile
$124,600
Most important skills
- Operation and Control4.1
- Operations Monitoring4.0
- Equipment Maintenance3.3
- Monitoring3.3
- Troubleshooting3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Time Management2.9
- Critical Thinking2.9
- Quality Control Analysis2.9
- Complex Problem Solving2.8
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8
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 7 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
7
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 4.1 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Operations Monitoring | 4.0 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $62,780
Compare with Pile Driver OperatorsSupplemental
National median $61,770
Compare with Pile Driver OperatorsSupplemental
National median $61,810
Compare with Pile Driver OperatorsSupplemental
National median $60,190
Compare with Pile Driver OperatorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $132,850 | 70 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $124,670 | 70 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $121,900 | 90 | 2025 |
| MA | $120,980 | 130 | 2025 |
| WA | $111,080 | 50 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $111,070 | 50 | 2025 |
| CA | $110,340 | 480 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $106,660 | 130 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $104,870 | 50 | 2025 |
| PA | $93,550 | 90 | 2025 |
| Anchorage, AK | $89,880 | 80 | 2025 |
| AK | $78,080 | 190 | 2025 |
| Houston, TX | $70,030 | 80 | 2025 |
| TX | $66,140 | 280 | 2025 |
| Beaumont, TX | $66,140 | 90 | 2025 |
| New Orleans, LA | $61,610 | 40 | 2025 |
| LA | $61,150 | 180 | 2025 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $60,630 | 80 | 2025 |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $60,290 | 70 | 2025 |
| VA | $59,910 | 150 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Pile Driver 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.