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Skilled Trades

Pile Driver Operators

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$73,300

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$49k – $125k

Job outlook

+4% (faster than average)

AI exposure

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Pile Driver Operators" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Pile Driver Operators

    Entry / Junior

    $48,790

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Pile Driver Operators

    Established

    $73,300

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Pile Driver Operators

    Senior

    $98,950

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.