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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
3K
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
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
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.
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.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.