Dredge Operators build operation and control, operations monitoring and coordination skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (91%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | 91% | $57,430 | +16% | None |
| 2 | Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas | 89% | $67,890 | +37% | None |
| 3 | Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 89% | $59,850 | +21% | None |
| 4 | Helpers--Extraction Workers | 89% | $47,730 | −4% | None |
| 5 | Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas | 86% | $58,620 | +18% | None |
| 6 | Continuous Mining Machine Operators | 85% | $61,810 | +25% | None |
| 7 | Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas | 85% | $60,190 | +21% | None |
| 8 | Riggers | 83% | $62,640 | +26% | None |
| 9 | Pile Driver Operators | 81% | $73,300 | +48% | None |
| 10 | Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | 80% | $74,500 | +50% | None |
Compared with Dredge Operators, median $49,640. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as dredge operators (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
91% skill match · $57,430 · +16% pay
Persuasion · Installation · Equipment Maintenance
89% skill match · $67,890 · +37% pay
Instructing · Persuasion · Negotiation
89% skill match · $59,850 · +21% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Installation · Quality Control Analysis
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (91% skill match, median $57,430), Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas (89% skill match, median $67,890) and Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (89% skill match, median $59,850), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 17 pay more than dredge operators at the median. The biggest increases: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (+95%, $96,710), Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining (+50%, $74,500) and Pile Driver Operators (+48%, $73,300).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.