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.
Also called: Diesel Pile Hammer Operator, Driving Inspector, Driving Operator, Hoisting Pile Driving Engineer, Hydraulic Pile Hammer Operator, Hydraulic Press-In Operator
Median pay
$73,300
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$48,790 – $124,600
People employed
2,310
Holland code
RCI
Realistic · Conventional · Investigative
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you OK with hours that change?
- 2.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 3.Are you OK working outdoors in all kinds of weather?
- 4.Are you OK with physical risk, such as hazardous equipment or conditions, with proper training?
- 5.Would you rather not deal with customers or the public?
The hard parts
- Work outdoors in all weather
- Mistakes can have serious consequences
- Tight deadlines are common
Pile Driver Operators pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (11 states with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What pile driver operators do
- 01Move hand and foot levers of hoisting equipment to position piling leads, hoist piling into leads, and position hammers over pilings.
- 02Move levers and turn valves to activate power hammers, or to raise and lower drophammers that drive piles to required depths.
- 03Drive pilings to provide support for buildings or other structures, using heavy equipment with a pile driver head.
- 04Conduct pre-operational checks on equipment to ensure proper functioning.
- 05Clean, lubricate, and refill equipment.
Skills that matter most
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
Knowledge
- Building and Construction
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Transportation
- Engineering and Technology
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years.
- On-the-job training: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from pile driver operators
- Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators90% · −4%
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining86% · −22%
- Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining84% · +2%
- Rail Car Repairers83% · −8%
- Riggers82% · −15%
Change into pile driver operators
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators93% · $70,070
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining90% · $57,430
- Crane and Tower Operators85% · $68,080
- Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas85% · $58,620
- Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas85% · $60,190
Majors that lead here
- Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.