Pile Driver Operators Salary: $108,828 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 3,040 pile driver operators nationally earn a mean of $108,828. Employment in the series shown rose about 34% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.4% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Pile Driver Operators: what the data shows
Common questions about pile driver operators careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a pile driver operators?
Pile Driver Operators is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-2072.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 3,040 workers.
What does a pile driver operators do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Handling and Moving Objects, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a pile driver operators make?
BLS national median annual wage: $70,510 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $108,828 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $70,009 |
| 25th percentile | $91,122 |
| Median (50th) | $109,064 |
| 75th percentile | $127,007 |
| 90th percentile | $137,053 |
What education do you need?
For Pile Driver Operators, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Equipment Maintenance, Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Building and Construction, Mechanical, Mathematics, Transportation. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is pile driver operators in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.4% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 6.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 14.4%.
Current U.S. headcount: 3,040.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do pile driver operatorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 3,040 | 20.3% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 3,010 | 20.1% |
| Construction | 2,890 | 19.3% |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 1,680 | 11.2% |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 950 | 6.3% |
| Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 910 | 6.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Pile Driver Operators in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Pile Driver Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
3,040 Workforce in 2023
The Pile Driver Operators workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Pile Driver Operators.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$108,828 Average Wage
In 2023, Pile Driver Operators earned an average of $108,828.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Pile Driver Operators.
Salary distribution for Pile Driver Operators.
Employment Growth Projections
1.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
2,545 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 6.9%
2,721 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 14.4%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Pile Driver Operators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Pile Driver Operators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Pile Driver Operators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Pile Driver Operators.
Wage Trends by Industry
10.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 0.5% growth (Current: $133,234)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Pile Driver Operators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Pile Driver Operators.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 790 employees, $105,720 avg wage
- FL: 560 employees, $54,470 avg wage
- TX: 270 employees, $63,270 avg wage
- MA: 220 employees, $111,450 avg wage
- LA: 180 employees, $57,650 avg wage
- VA: 130 employees, $55,950 avg wage
- AK: 110 employees, $86,890 avg wage
- GA: 70 employees, $51,150 avg wage
- IN: 60 employees, $64,980 avg wage
- NJ: 60 employees, $102,080 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Pile Driver Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 260 employees, $98,680 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 180 employees, $57,190 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 170 employees, $112,430 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 150 employees, $66,470 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 130 employees, $125,600 avg wage
- Baton Rouge, LA: 110 employees, $58,950 avg wage
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL: 100 employees, $50,440 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA: 80 employees, $106,780 avg wage
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: 80 employees, $53,960 avg wage
- Anchorage, AK: 60 employees, $84,280 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Pile Driver Operators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Pile Driver Operators in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Pile Driver Operators in 2023 was 3,040 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Pile Driver Operators.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Pile Driver Operators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Pile Driver Operators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Pile Driver Operators in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Pile Driver Operators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Pile Driver Operators workers.
Education level distribution for Pile Driver Operators.
Skills
Pile Driver Operators need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Equipment Maintenance, Monitoring, Troubleshooting.
Required skills for Pile Driver Operators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Pile Driver Operators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Pile Driver Operators include Building and Construction, Mechanical, Mathematics, Transportation, Engineering and Technology.
Knowledge areas required for Pile Driver Operators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Pile Driver Operators include Control Precision, Multilimb Coordination, Depth Perception, Reaction Time, Manual Dexterity.
Required abilities for Pile Driver Operators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Pile Driver Operators.
Daily Activities
Pile Driver Operators spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Handling and Moving Objects, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment.
Most important work activities for Pile Driver Operators.
About
Pile Driver Operators
The average yearly wage for Pile Driver Operators was $108,828 in 2023.
SOC Code
47-2072 - Pile Driver Operators
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Pile Driver Operators reports an average salary of $108,828, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 3,040 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.