Pile Driver Operators build operation and control, operations monitoring and equipment maintenance 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 Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators (90%).
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 | Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | 90% | $70,070 | −4% | None |
| 2 | Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | 86% | $57,430 | −22% | None |
| 3 | Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | 84% | $74,500 | +2% | None |
| 4 | Rail Car Repairers | 83% | $67,530 | −8% | None |
| 5 | Riggers | 82% | $62,640 | −15% | None |
| 6 | Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas | 81% | $60,190 | −18% | None |
| 7 | Crane and Tower Operators | 80% | $68,080 | −7% | Certificate or associate |
| 8 | Wellhead Pumpers | 80% | $69,960 | −5% | None |
| 9 | Continuous Mining Machine Operators | 80% | $61,810 | −16% | None |
| 10 | Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | 80% | $65,510 | −11% | Certificate or associate |
Compared with Pile Driver Operators, median $73,300. 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 pile driver 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.
90% skill match · $70,070 · −4% pay
Management of Personnel Resources · Management of Financial Resources · Equipment Selection
86% skill match · $57,430 · −22% pay
Persuasion · Management of Personnel Resources · Operations Analysis
84% skill match · $74,500 · +2% pay
Operations Analysis · Social Perceptiveness · Equipment Selection
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators (90% skill match, median $70,070), Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (86% skill match, median $57,430) and Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining (84% skill match, median $74,500), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 8 pay more than pile driver operators at the median. The biggest increases: Power Plant Operators (+39%, $102,040), Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (+32%, $96,710) and Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (+30%, $95,320).
22 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.