How much should I pay a pile driver operators in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Pile Driver Operators is $73,299 to $106,434 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows manufacturing wages growing about 3.3% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a pile driver operators?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $58,510 is below market, $73,299 to $106,434 is competitive, and above $106,434 is above market for Pile Driver Operators.

How is pile driver operators pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role rose 4.0% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI). Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.

Pile Driver Operators Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 47-2072 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$73,299

$35.24/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Pile Driver Operators salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$49K

P25$59K

P50$73K

P75$106K

P90$125K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

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Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- manufacturing openings are at 3.7% (JOLTS, June 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.3% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.9-3.4% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $73,299 to $106,434 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Pile Driver Operators pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 4.0% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · STABLE

Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.6 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback. Quits steady at 1.5%.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.3% per year, holding steady.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Pile Driver Operators is $73,299 per year ($35.24/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $58,510 and $106,434 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $124,613 per year. There are approximately 2,310 pile driver operators employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

+4.3%

Faster than average

Annual openings

300

per year, on avg

Workforce today

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Experience

None

On-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction NAICS 237900	610	$64,370
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction NAICS 237300	490	$92,980
Other Specialty Trade Contractors NAICS 238900	270	$79,350
Nonresidential Building Construction NAICS 236200	240	$66,140
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors NAICS 238100	220	$102,030

Wage range across top 5 industries: $64,370 to $102,030 (59% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$23.46	$48,797
P25	$28.13	$58,510
P50MEDIAN	$35.24	$73,299
P75	$51.17	$106,434
P90	$59.91	$124,613

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · manufacturing sector

Stable

Openings Rate

3.7%

Quits Rate

1.5%

Manufacturing openings eased to 481K (-36K) in June, rate 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback (-55K). Quits held at 1.5%. The sector remains stable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average pile driver operators salary?

The national median salary for Pile Driver Operators is $73,299 per year ($35.24/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $58,510 and $106,434 annually.

How much do top-earning pile driver operators make?

The 90th percentile salary for Pile Driver Operators is $124,613 per year ($59.91/hr). The 75th percentile is $106,434 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for pile driver operators?

Entry-level Pile Driver Operators (10th percentile) earn approximately $48,797 per year ($23.46/hr). The 25th percentile is $58,510 per year.

Related Salary Data

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Pile Driver Operators Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

California480 workers Texas280 workers Florida270 workers Alaska190 workers Louisiana180 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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